Yoga Teacher Training Blog

Practical Ways to Include Meditation into your Yoga Class

admin — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:11:10 +0000

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Including a period of meditation into a Yoga class can be challenging for some Yoga teachers. Many Yoga classes are only an hour in length, and teachers may find it difficult just to get their class through a well-rounded practice, much less getting the class to meditate for any period of time! The stress of making sure that your class receives the benefit of a balanced series of poses, including Shavasana, can be overwhelming, particularly for new Yoga instructors.

The setting and time of day that you are teaching may also make a difference in the pacing of your class. For example, if you are teaching a quick, forty-five minute class at a health club during lunchtime, you may feel quite pressed for time. However, learning how to create a krama or sequence of Yoga poses that offers your students a well-rounded practice, in addition to quieting and calming the vrittis of the mind will help to offer your students the full benefits of Yoga practice.

There are a number of simple ways to include a period of meditation into your Yoga classes. A period of meditation may only last of few minutes, but even a brief period of time when your students can pause to reflect on how they feel or take a few deep breathes, will be beneficial. Slowing down enough to inhale and exhale fully will also help to balance the nervous system, release tension and energize the body. Some of your students may not even realize that they are not breathing deeply until you create the space and time for them to focus on their breathing.

In order to incorporate meditation into your Yoga classes, creating an introspective atmosphere is an easy way to demarcate a period of quietude. Your own internal atmosphere as well as the atmosphere of the room are important when your are setting a meditative tone. Remember to keep your own internal state quiet. This will allow your students to relax and slow down. Additionally, dimming the lights and playing soft, meditative music for five to ten minutes, at either the beginning or end of a class, will create the space for a seamless period of stillness and peace.

See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about teaching yoga students and our selection of affordable online yoga instructor certification courses.

If you are a teacher, yoga school 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. Namaste!

Igniting the Creative Spark with Yoga: Moon Salutations

admin — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:55:16 +0000

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Many people seek out increased creativity in their lives. This desired creativity may come in the form of a more fulfilling personal life, professional life or a variety of traditional artistic endeavors. A higher degree of creativity can allow us to think “outside the box” and enable us to solve problems in such a way that the solution naturally increases our well-being. The practice of Yoga offers teachers and students a varied and effective set of tools for effectively increasing the flow of prana or life force energy throughout the body and mind. A regular practice of Yoga poses and pranayama exercises will dramatically release deeply held tension and stress and will fill you with vibrant energy and a scintillating lightness of being.

This state of energy and lightness will offset the physical and mental lethargy of tamas.

“Tamas” is a Sanskrit term for a heavy, dense state of being. Too much tamas can result from a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, stress, and mental worry. Releasing physical tension, stress and unnecessary worrying, through a regular practice of Yoga asanas, will help to naturally increase the vibrancy and intensity of your creative ideas. By increasing your physical well-being, boosting your energy level and increasing your ability to focus through a regular Yoga practice, you will be more able to allow the creative juices to flow. You will also have ample inner resources to manifest your own creative visions.

* Chandra Namaskara or Moon Salutations

Chandra Namaskara or the Moon Salutations are a wonderful series of flowing Yoga asanas that will increase the circulation of fresh oxygen and nutrients throughout your body and mind, bringing with it fresh ideas and an abundance of energy. The Moon Salutations are very similar to Sun Salutation A. The two primary differences are the slower pace of the Moon Salutations and dropping the back knee to the Yoga mat when you are in Warrior I Pose. Please refer to a professional Yoga website or instructional book for a detailed description of all of the poses comprising Sun Salutation A.

To practice the Moon Salutation, begin by moving through Sun Salutation A. When you reach Warrior I Pose, drop your back knee to the Yoga mat. With an inhale, extend your arms behind your head to the full extent of your reach. Keep your hands in Prayer Position and arc your body in a similar contour as a crescent moon. The internal work or dharana of the asana is to envision the cool nectar of the bliss of the full moon entering your Crown Chakra as you extend into the fullness of the pose. Hold this pose for three to five complete breaths, and with your next exhale, drop your hands back to the mat and move quietly and contemplatively into Downward Facing Dog.

See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about teaching yoga students and our selection of hatha yoga instructor certification courses.

Yoga Develops One’s Mindset

admin — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 18:06:53 +0000

By Faye Martins

Yoga is a ancient discipline, which develops one’s mindset and enhances wholesome human well-being through the practice of physical and mental exercises. Since its origin in India, yoga has continued to be practiced by an increasingly wide cross-section of people. Perhaps one reason why yoga training is so popular is its perceived simplicity.

Any person at any age can learn and practice yoga. It is for this reason that today it is practiced in virtually all countries of the world. Despite its simplicity however, yoga has some technical difficulty, which require practice and study in order to improve. It requires a deep understanding of yogic methodology for one to be able to reap maximum benefit from the physical and mental exercises.

There are many variations of yogic practices and methods that can be carried out. The choice depends on the reason why one is getting into the practice of yoga. It is also determined by the particular needs, interests, and condition of the person and the amount of time he or she can dedicate to the practices. Yoga is practiced to enhance emotional stability, mental clarity, flexibility and holistic fitness.

On the physical side: The stretching and flexing of different muscles is done in systematic motions in which balance is also tested, learned, and improved. Different physical yoga styles and methods vary in speed and intensity.

All yogic practices have been proven to have great health benefits. For this benefit to be realized however, one must practice the deeper yoga exercises. Pranayama practice appears on the surface to involve learning breathing methods. It can be said to be the heart of yoga because it easily brings the mind and body together in harmony and awareness. Therefore, what appears on the surface to be a simple practice is a much deeper practice in terms of methodology and philosophy.

Asana practice entails the striking of the poses, which are the most noticeable of the methods for photography. The photograph can’t indicate the level of concentration or the type of pranayama a practitioner is engaging in while holding a pose for a photographer. For maximum benefit Pranayama practice should be learned first as the basis and then incorporated with asana practice. This is the way of true yogic methodology, which will encompass body and mind and bring the much needed healing to a person.

The general well-being of a person originates much deeper than just within the physical body. The same is true about poor health. If one is unwell, he or she needs to get to the source of illness and this will usually be found much deeper in a person than is normally imagined. Pranayama practice, which gradually progresses into all aspects of daily life, will bring wholesome and lasting healing to the body of a person. Practice and benefits start within the mind and spreads to every cell of the body. Yoga training teaches the body to heal itself and to remain in a perpetual state of wellness.

See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about teaching yoga students and our selection of home study yoga instructor certification courses.

The Benefits of Yoga Practice in Relation to Stress

admin — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:44:59 +0000

By Brooke Olive

Yoga has long been believed to be the most comprehensive whole body fitness regime around. But it is the beneficial side effects that are of real value to the individual. Practicing yoga tones the body, stimulates the nervous system to work more effectively, aids digestion and increases flexibility. However it also works on a deeper level by creating a new mindfulness that leaves the individual feeling calm, relaxed and more at ease.

Society today is very different from 100 years ago. Modern technology, poor dietary and fitness habits coupled with a fast paced lifestyle can take a toll on the human body. What is not commonly realised is that stress can affect your body in many different areas, causing conditions that may be seen as usual or normal but are in fact directly related to how your body handles pressure.

There are several hormones and chemicals within the body that are linked to stress. Most of these originate from one area- the adrenal gland. The most important and well known hormone is cortisol. This hormone can alter the immune system’s response and also suppress the digestive tract, normal growth processes and the entire reproductive system.

Another familiar hormone is adrenalin. Most people go to great lengths and spend large amounts of money to experience the rush they feel as it is released into the bloodstream. This increase in heart rate and energy also temporarily cuts off blood supply to your skin and increases your blood pressure. Other hormones like aldosterone are affected by stress. When aldosterone is over stimulated it can result in edema which is swelling due to fluid retention. This can occur over many parts of the body but most commonly will be experienced in the limbs.

Stress can also lead to emotional and mental issues. It will negatively impact one’s emotions and can lead to depression and other mental imbalances. It has been shown to cause moodiness, irritability and general unhappiness. Those that experience high stress levels often report feeling overwhelmed, lonely and isolated as well as unable to physically relax. This can lead to insomnia and a complete body crisis.

It has been seen to cause several issues within the body’s reproductive system, reducing sperm count, ovulation and even sexual desire. Other physical symptoms of stress can manifest as skin issues, general aches and pains, nausea, dizziness and a compromised immune system. As the body is under barrage from stress a person may experience the side effects from this in a domino effect resulting in problems with memory, concentration and judgement and constant ‘monkey mind’ where anxious thought patterns never cease and leave the individual seeing and feeling only the negative aspects within and without himself. Many people will experience the same behavioural symptoms. Some of these are common and widely recognised like eating and sleeping issues and self-induced insolation.

The causes of stress are many and may vary from one individual to another. This is because people cope with different situations with varying levels of ability. What may stress one person may not stress another. Externally stress may result from work issues, a challenging financial situation, family or other relationship conflicts. It may be a combination of some of these. Many people find the greatest cause of stress is that there is too much to do in too little time. However some people stress due to internal conflict. This is any situation that deals with how an individual feels about himself and his ability to cope in certain situations.

The longer an individual endures a stressful life, the more problems that will arise physically and emotionally. High blood pressure, a suppressed immune system and the inability to cope mentally will soon leave the individual feeling ill and depressed. In order to cope with both the causes and effects of stress an individual must develop techniques to relax. Yoga is a comprehensive mind, body and soul workout. It is almost impossible to not activate the body’s relaxation response during a yoga session. This was proven recently at an Australian university where after a six week study, participants who undertook a yoga program that consisted of pranayama, asanas and yoga nidra were found to have lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress. Those in the control group that did not practice yoga showed no change. Those who did practice also reported higher levels of growth in their spiritual experience.

Practicing yoga gives your body a designated time to relax in what can often be a hectic life. It improves muscle strength as well as blood circulation which in turn works to detoxify the body’s major organs. The calming effect brought on by deep breathing and the meditative state often experienced throughout and almost always at the end of a yogic session stabilises the autonomic nervous system which works to bring about more balance within the body. Not only will yoga work to balance the body and combat the effects of stress but it may also expand the individual’s consciousness allowing them to see where they can prevent further stress within their life.

There are many asanas that can be used to combat stress. Some, like the bridge pose or Setu Bandhasana, improve circulation and work to calm the brain and central nervous system. It is a rejuvenating pose that relieves anxiety and stimulates and clears the mind which is very therapeutic for those feeling overwhelmed and under prepared for what life may throw at them. The bridge pose is also handy for dealing with the symptoms directly related to stress. It works to aid digestion, strengthen the back and reduce aches and pains throughout the body by stretching the spine. By working to relax the individual this pose can relieve insomnia, anxiety and fatigue.

The full boat pose, or Paripuna Navasana, works in much the same manner as the bridge asana. By stimulating the organs and strengthening and stretching the spine and hips, this pose supports stress relief as well as improving the sense of balance. Another asana that focuses on healthy balance is the extended triangle pose or Utthita Trikonasana. By opening up the chest and shoulder area it works to release pent up emotions and relieves backache and shoulder stiffness. This can help as stress can lead to tight, taut and painful muscle tension.

While many asanas work to relieve the symptoms of stress as well as focus and clear the mind it is important to realise that yoga is a whole system that benefits the whole physical, mental and spiritual aspects of an individual. This is especially seen in the practices of pranayama and meditation. Mindful breathing and thought release are both important aspects of yoga that help to calm, relax and relieve mental stress. Asanas focus on improving respiration, the individual’s level of fitness and sense of balance. They can help relieve pain and create a stronger body. Yet the body is only a vehicle for the mind and soul. It must be tuned but it is not all there is to the individual.

Mentally, yoga works on helping the individual to relax, using breathing techniques to effectively quiet the mind and bring the focus to holding an asana, not worrying over anything else but the pose and the execution of it. So mindfully yoga teaches one to focus positive energy. Becoming more mindful of situations gives an individual the ability to choose how he or she may perceive a stressful situation. On one hand, it may be something to become anxious over, on the other it may be seen as an opportunity to grow and learn.

By focusing on the internal struggle and becoming more aware of the body, it’s feelings and responses to certain situations an individual can discover not only how to combat the effects of stress but how to avoid stress and see it as an opportunity for personal growth. This is the spiritual side of yoga. Practicing yoga has been said to promote interdependence between the mind, body and spirit. This of course is related to the whole oneness theory.

Besides the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of Yoga espoused by Yoga practitioners and devotees Western medicine is now jumping on the bandwagon. With many studies now coming to light, like the recent Deakin University Study conducted in Melbourne, Australia, doctors are now referring patients in need of lifestyle changes to local Yoga studios in the hope that Yoga, not pharmaceutical drugs, can assist them in relieving the symptoms of stress. Many parents are also now advocating the practice for their children, where it has been introduced into many schools as a sporting activity and to help children learn to focus and calm their minds prior to exams and other stressful situations.

Yoga has many documented benefits and of the many, stress relief seems almost the least important. And yet, it is the reason so many people turn to Yoga. It provides that individual time set aside just for them to turn off their minds and concentrate purely on themselves and the practice. In today’s busy world, the ability to completely focus and just breathe is one that must be recommended for all. It is within this unity that peace lies.

References:

“6 Yoga Poses for Stress Management and to Increase Energy – Prevention.com.” 6 Yoga Poses for Stress Management and to Increase Energy – Prevention.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.

“Doctor Says Yoga May Be Prescription For Better Health.” Science Daily. Science Daily, 26 Dec. 2002. Web. 15 July 2012.

“Europe PubMed Central.” Role of Yoga in Stress Management. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.

“Stress Symptoms, Signs and Causes.” Stress Symptoms, Signs & Causes: Effects of Stress Overload. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2012.

“Study: Yoga Helps Prevent Stress, Depression, and Anxiety.” Resources for Yoga Therapy, Ayurveda, and Natural Remedies. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.

“Surprising Ways Stress Affects Your Whole Body.” Fox News. FOX News Network, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.

Brooke Olive is a certified yoga teacher. She teaches yoga sessions in Yanchep, Western Australia.

Increasing Agni in your Yoga Class: Side Plank Pose

admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:07:08 +0000

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Springtime is upon us, and for many Yoga practitioners who live in areas that experience long winters, the increasing light and warmth of this season is very welcome. Just like the seasons in temperate climate zones, there are also different types of Yoga practices. Some practices are cooling, and other sequences of asanas are quite warming. For example, practices that are cooling and restorative are Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra. Practices that are quite warming are Ashtanga and Bikram Yoga. Both of these types of flowing sequences will help to stoke the inner fire or agni of your students.

Additionally, by choosing to incorporate asanas that are physically strengthening and vigorous in nature into your Yoga class, you will create a purifying and energizing experience for your students. During the increasing warmth of the spring and summer months, especially after a long, cold winter, your students may very much enjoy and benefit from a class that substantially increases their energy level, boosts their metabolism and invigorates their inner agni or fire. A vinyasa-based class, that includes a number of standing asanas, balancing postures and core strengthening exercises, will generate a cleansing and energizing experience for your Yoga students.

* Side Plank Pose or Vasisthasana

Side Plank Pose is a balancing asana that definitely generates more agni or inner fire. It is usually practiced towards the end of the standing poses. Side Plank Pose is very strengthening for the entire side of the body, arms, wrists and ankles. Side Plank Pose also strengthens the entire torso region and opens up the shoulders, upper back and throat areas. To practice Side Plank Pose, instruct your students to move through a vinyasa and pause in Downward Facing Dog.

From Downward Facing Dog, ask your Yoga students to keep their right hand on the mat while turning to the right. The right hand will remain in position with the fingers facing the front of the mat. The outer edge of the right foot should be flush against the mat with the inner edge of the left foot resting on top of the right foot. The legs should be perfectly lined up and the torso also kept in a straight line. The left arm is raised above the body and in line with the shoulders and the right arm. The left palm faces away from the body. Ask your Yoga students to hold Side Plank Pose for three to five complete breaths, and then release the posture and flow through a vinyasa or rest in Child’s Pose.

See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about our selection of distance learning yoga teacher certification programs.

If you are teaching a yoga class, a yoga school 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. Namaste!

Increasing Agni in your Yoga Class: Crow Pose

admin — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:19:37 +0000

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

“Agni” is the Sanskrit word for fire, heat and energy. Agni is also the fire that fuels the burning away of negative mental and physical habits during Yogic practices that are not in our own best interest or for our highest good. As a metaphor, you can imagine a Brahmin priest offering a ladle of clarified butter or ghee into a sacred fire. This sacrificial offering is symbolic of the release of negative mental and physical habits that keep us separated from the divine light within our own hearts. In the ladle are all of the habits of mind and body that keep us mired in one degree or another of negativity and inertia. Until we release this heaviness or tamas, we will be prevented from reaching our own highest potential.

In order to help facilitate the process of release and renewal through letting go of the habitual thought patterns and physical tension that dampens our energy, increasing the level of agni or fire in your Yoga classes will help your students to lighten and enhance their life force energy. There are a variety of poses and sequences of asanas that will ignite and increase the heat and energy in your Yoga classes. Fast-moving Power Yoga sequences, vigorous standing poses and challenging balancing postures will all help to increase the level of fire in your classes.

* Crow Pose or Bakasana

Crow Pose is a wonderful balancing Yoga pose that strengthens the arms, shoulders and core muscles. It also helps to hone a sense of balance, competency and focus. Additionally, Crow Pose stretches out the muscles of the wrists, forearms and hands, making it a very therapeutic pose for those of us who spend a lot of time on the computer. Crow Pose is often practiced in the context of a series of Sun Salutations and standing postures.

To teach your Yoga students Bakasana, have them fluidly move through the beginning sequence of Sun Salutation B and into a squatting position on their Yoga mats from Downward Facing Dog. Their feet should be a little wider than hips’ distance apart and parallel to each other. Direct your students to place their hands approximately twelve inches in front of their feet with their fingers spread comfortably far apart and facing the front of the Yoga mat. With their next inhale, guide your students to place their shins on their upper arms and lean slightly forward.

As they lean forward and balance on their hands, their feet will come off of the Yoga mat when they rest the weight of their body entirely on the back of their arms. The dristi or gazing point in this posture is two to three feet in front of them on the floor. If you have a student or two who feels anxious about tipping over, have them place a folded blanket just in front of them for padding. This should help to alleviate their anxiety. Remind your students to keep breathing while they are in the pose. Instruct your Yoga class to hold Crow Pose for three to five breaths, and then release the posture and move through a vinyasa or rest in Child’s Pose.

See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about our selection of distance learning yoga certification programs.

Teaching Yoga to Students Recovering from Surgery or Living with Chronic Illness: Contemplative Practices

admin — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:42:26 +0000

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

If you are a Yoga instructor who is teaching one or more students who are recovering from surgery or living with a chronic illness, modifying the practice in order to tailor the intensity level to each student’s current ability is critically important. The awareness and application of therapeutic Yoga asanas, breathing exercises and contemplative practices can be profoundly healing to students who are working toward regaining their health. Your inner attitude or “bhav” towards your students’ efforts in Yoga class can also substantially impact the healing effect of the class on your students.

In fact, when you are teaching a Yoga class, mentally holding the image of your students in your conscious awareness as whole and vibrantly healthy will help to support your students in seeing themselves the same way. As your Yoga students begin to mentally shift from focusing on what may not be working correctly in their bodies to the parts of their bodies that are healthy and strong, they will begin to align themselves with a state of strength and well-being. This internal shift from a negative to a positive perspective about their bodies will also help to offset depression, which so often accompanies serious illness, injury or a lengthy recuperation from a major surgery.

As a Yoga teacher, it is also important to be aware of and uproot any of your own negative thoughts about your students, especially those students who may be struggling with health issues. Thoughts such as, “I can’t believe she is still doing the Yoga asanas while seated in a chair. Her knee seems strong enough now to support her weight!” Thoughts such as these will energetically undermine your students’ sense of themselves as healthy yogis or yoginis who are temporarily healing from an illness or injury, instead of students who are chronically physically unwell.

The same effect holds true for each Yoga student’s inner attitude. If a student feels despondent, weak and unhealthy and continues to focus on those negative states of being, he or she will undermine their own efforts during Yoga class. If, on the other hand, you gently and compassionately remind your students to focus on the fact that they made it to class, the amazing effort they are making to regain their own health and the parts of their bodies that are strong and healthy, their spirits will be uplifted and a sense of purpose, strength and mastery will begin to fill their bodies, which will deeply support them during the healing process.

See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about our selection of affordable hatha yoga certification programs.

Therapeutic Yoga Asanas for Insomnia?

admin — Sat, 04 May 2013 00:50:10 +0000

By Faye Martins

Insomnia can be a difficult condition to treat. There are several causes of insomnia and these can include hormonal fluctuations, stress, medical problems and emotional issues. Insomnia is a complicated and highly-individualized condition and in reality, there isn’t a single cure for it. However, yoga has been known to alleviate insomnia. Certain asanas promote calmness and serenity that can lead to better sleep.

Some of these asanas are inversions, but not everyone should be doing inversions due to health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart problems, eye problems, previous stroke epilepsy and more. Discuss inversions with your physician before doing them. If you are cleared by your doctor and you are suffering from insomnia, here are some inverted yoga asanas (poses) to try just before bedtime.

Inverted Poses – All inverted yoga poses are practices that help you sleep better. This can especially alleviate insomnia caused by hormonal changes. One inversion to try is Halasana or the Plow Pose. In this posture, you do not have to be perfect as long as you are achieving the proper posture. It is important to coordinate your breathing with your movements.

Time your breaths while slowly moving your legs over your head to the floor. Try holding this pose for 20 seconds and gradually add time up to a few minutes if it is possible. You can modify Halasana by starting out on you back with the top of your head facing a wall in Shavasana.

Raise your legs and touch the bottoms of your feet on the wall. Slowing walk your feet down as far as is comfortable. Please do not force your feet down to the floor. You should be able to breathe completely at all times while holding this asana. If your feet naturally go to the floor and you can breathe completely that is fine too. The wall gives practitioners options to modify for different bodies. Other poses to try are the Salamba Sirsana or the Supported Headstand and the Viparita Karani or the Legs up the Wall (my personal favorite before bedtime).

Forward Folding Asanas – Just like yoga inversions, forward bends help in relieving insomnia caused by hormonal fluctuations. Any of the forward bends such as the Prasarita Padottanasana or Standing Forward Bend, Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing, Uttanasana or Standing Forward, Sirsana or Head to Knee and the Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Fold can be performed prior to heading for bed. One of the most common of these yoga poses is the Uttanasana.

All you would need to do is stand in front of your bed then slowly lean forward using your hips while inhaling and exhaling. You will then slowly move forward until your head is resting on the nearby stack of pillows or the bed mattress itself. Don’t stress if you cannot reach the bed with your head. Just rest your arms on it instead. For those who are naturally flexible feel free to fold as deep as you like, but no force is required. Your back should be reasonably straight and you should be able to fully inhale and exhale regardless of how deep you go into any posture. Therefore, do not hold your breath for the sake of your ego. Uttanasana and the other forward bends should be held in position for 20 seconds up to a few minutes.

Supported Shoulder Stand – Among all the asanas, Sarvangasana or Supported Shoulder Stand is one of the most helpful. This posture has been called “Queen of the Asanas.” When performed prior to bedtime, it helps your body relax and signals it to sleep. When practiced during the day, Sarvangasana may help you compensate for lost sleep. This is basically a “jackknife” wherein your shoulder blades are resting on the ground while your legs are up in the air. If you find this pose too difficult, you can also support your legs or feet on a wall or chair.

Incorporating these asanas into your bedtime routine can help alleviate your insomnia. Do not expect results right away and consistency is key when trying to deal with insomnia through yoga.

Faye Martins is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.

See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about our selection of affordable hatha yoga instructor training programs.

Introducing the Concept of Alchemy to your Yoga Class

admin — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:36:41 +0000

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

If you have actively engaged in or taught Yoga classes for an extended period of time, you are familiar with the potential of the practices to transmute heaviness into lightness and a bleak outlook on life into one of hope and enthusiasm. The word “enthusiasm” actually means to be filled with the spirit or energy of God. This energy feels wonderful; vibrant, alive and life sustaining. The Yoga practices of asana, meditation, prayer, chanting and pranayama, when practiced in balance and on a regular basis, have the ability to truly transform a Yogi or Yogini’s life. These ancient practices, as succinctly elucidated in Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras, provide a comprehensive alchemical path to happiness.

The alchemical process of transforming base physical states and emotions into lightness, love and vibrant well-being, replicates the chemical process of transforming base metals into gold. In fact, there are references to alchemy found in the ancient Vedic texts as far back as the 4th century B.C.E. References to alchemy also abound in Buddhist texts between the 2nd and 5th centuries A.D. where the process of transmuting base metals into gold is clearly laid out. This alchemical process is also applicable in the fields of psychology and self-improvement. In 1913, Carl Jung was one of the first psychologists to adopt the use of the term alchemy in the context of mental health, spiritual growth and inner development.

By introducing the concept of physical and emotional alchemy to your Yoga students, they will more fully understand the various Yogic disciplines as a complete matrix of practices that can transform every area of their lives. From the simple breathing technique of Dirga Pranayama, to learning the deceptively easy practice of truly relaxing in Shavasana, your students will gain a deeper appreciation of the transformative opportunity that each Yoga class provides to them.

In addition to the physical practices of Yoga, you may also wish to incorporate a period of meditation and contemplation into the practice, either at the beginning or end of your class. A beautiful poem or aphorism read aloud to your students will help to lift their spirits and focus their minds on the internal goals of Yoga practice. You may also want to include a period of chanting into your classes. If you do know how to play the harmonium and sing kirtan, great! If you do not know how to play the harmonium, or if you feel shy singing in front of a group, leading a group chant by using a portable CD player will enable you to offer the time-honored practice of chanting to your Yoga students in a non-intimidating fashion.

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Introducing the Concept of Tamas to your Yoga Class

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:15:35 +0000

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

According to Yogic philosophy, the material world arises from the underlying field of pulsating energy, known in Sanskrit as “prakriti.” Within this field, there are three energetic qualities that comprise physical existence. These three qualities or gunas are known as tamas, rajas and sattva. Tamas is comprised of the qualities of heaviness, darkness, denseness and inertia. Rajas holds the qualities of movement, energy and fire. Sattva is the very light vibrational energy of purity, goodness and pervading peace.

Ultimately, the goal and path of Yoga is one of purification of the tamasic and rajasic qualities into the purity and light of the sattvic guna. This is the light of God’s presence, both within ourselves and in the external world. By introducing these three gunas to your Yoga students, you will be able to teach them about the underlying alchemical processes of the various Yoga practices and techniques. This will help to frame the practice of asanas, meditation and pranayama exercises into the classical Yogic goal of experiencing union with the divine.

Many students and teachers begin practicing Yoga in order to release inertia, heaviness and lethargy. The practice of asanas, particularly when done in a heated room or in a flowing, vinyasa fashion, will definitely help to move stuck energy, release stress and tension and increase the pulsation of the life force throughout one’s being. To place the practice of “moving stuck energy” through a challenging asana and pranayama practice into the traditional Yogic framework of alchemy, will help your students to understand the purifying and uplifting practice of Yoga in a more comprehensive manner.

When you are introducing the concept of tamas to your Yoga students, you may want to explain the general concept of the three gunas first. In this way, they will have a general understanding of the basic Yogic concept of creation. After introducing the three gunas, illustrating tamas with examples from everyday life, even you own life, will help your students to further understand the effect of too much tamas on their experience of life. Tamas is often experienced as a lack of energy, a sense of heaviness, inertia, indifference and even depression. The process of releasing tamas from our bodies and minds usually begins with the movement and energy of the rajasic guna. Moving one’s body through a complete practice of Yoga asanas and breathing exercises is a sure fire way to begin to ultimately transform ourselves into lightness, love and peace.

See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about our selection of distance learning yoga instructor training courses.