Posts Tagged ‘best yoga teacher’

What Makes the Best Yoga Teachers Exceptional?

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

Yoga Teacher Training ClassBy Faye Martins

A truly exceptional Yoga teacher will embody the wisdom and grace of the path of Yoga. Exceptional Yoga teachers consistently help their students break through their physical and emotional barriers in order to achieve the highest level of health and well-being for that particular individual.

A great teacher will also maintain a consistent, personal Yoga practice and continue to study, while refining his or her teaching skills. Additionally, a great Yoga teacher will not teach from a place of ego, but from an attitude of service to the students in each class.

The best Yoga teachers will maintain a consistent practice of asanas, pranayama, chanting, contemplation, and meditation in order to stay physically fit and in touch will the divine core of their own heart. A great Yoga teacher will continue to “romance the light” on a daily basis. This includes seeing the divine energy in all beings.

A great Yoga teacher is able to uplift his or her students just from the embodiment of divine meditative and exuberant energy. A really, really exceptional Yoga teacher will effortlessly put you into a state of meditation while you flow through the poses.

Truly competent Hatha Yoga teachers are also able to encourage, motivate, and support their students to safely go beyond their preconceived physical and emotional limitations in order to go deeper into the practice. At the end of a class taught by a great Hatha Yoga teacher, you will feel that you were able to do the poses comfortably.

Under the guidance of such dynamic teachers, students learn about themselves and mental or physical techniques they never thought they would be able to do. Students feel alive and renewed, but not exhausted. This level of teaching is based on a nuanced sequencing of Yoga asanas, pranayama, and meditation, and other practices is challenging, but not overwhelming for the students in the class. An exceptional Yoga teacher will create a compassionate and supportive atmosphere for the students to work at the edge of their abilities, without pushing so hard that the students risk incurring an injury.

The best Yoga teachers are exceptional because they offer their teaching from a place of service and not a place of ego gratification. For example, let’s say that there is a ego driven Yoga teacher who is adept at difficult Yoga asanas and pranayama techniques. He or she is scheduled to teach a beginning Yoga class at a local community center.

This Yoga teacher may be able to demonstrate difficult postures easily and correctly, which is most likely gratifying to the teacher’s ego, but the asanas may be completely unapproachable for the students in the class. A much better way to teach a Yoga class is to tailor the asana sequences and other Yogic techniques to the students’ physical, mental, or emotional needs and abilities. This is one of many keys to becoming an exceptional Yoga teacher.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Yoga Teacher Training – Existence and Purpose

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

yoga teacher training By Sanjeev Patel, CYT 500

Do you know your purpose? Has your guru helped open your eyes to become your own teacher. The best gurus have always encouraged their students to become empowered and independent. The best Yoga teacher is within, if you just focus on your true purpose.

It has been said that life is a successive sequence of efforts. One of us puts forth an effort to build, while another performs and equal effort to destroy what was just built. The illusion in our existence is to believe we are 100% right about everything. Yogis care about the environment, but how can an industrialist world convert to going green and still making a profit?

We may say. “It’s not all about profit.” Tell that to the board room at a foutune 500 company. We have to realize that our reality is not shared by everyone. There is a diversity of motives and aims, which are followed by a level of effort toward an objective.

In order to fully realize the amount of effort we must put forth, we must face the fact that we live in a world of illusions that are commonly mistaken for realities. One religion believes it has the right to destroy another. One business believes it has the right to destroy its competition. One government declares war on another. In each case, there is a feeling of self-rightousness within the agressor.

What can we do about it? Good little Yogis meditate, eat a sattvic diet, talk world peace, go green, and pray for a better world. Can that really be enough? It’s a real good start and an example that might leave the rest of the world puzzled. You see, you don’t have to preach, all you need do is be a good example.

It really makes people upset when you don’t hop on the war and pay back bandwagon. It’s not that we should lay down every time we’re faced with agression, but there needs to be a view that is not limited by the horizon of our perceptions. Luckily, we live at a time, when there are some very good world leaders.

What is our purpose as Yoga teachers and practitioners? To decrease the level of suffering for everyone. Of course, this includes good health, but it also refers to neglected social and environmental changes in every country. Yoga itself must make a meaningful effort for social and environmental change on this precious planet.

Hari Om Tat Sat

© Copyright 2011 – Sanjeev Patel / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Sanjeev Patel is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.

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

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The Mission and Pledge of Yoga Teachers

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

Yoga Teacher Training Demonstration Back BendBy Sanjeev Patel, CYT 500

When one finishes a Yoga teacher training course, does he or she know the true mission of teaching? Some teachers definitely do, while others seem to be oblivious to the principles of Ahimsa, Karma, and making a positive difference in the lives of others.

The world is plagued with stress. We see it all around us. People are so caught up in striving for material wealth, that their souls are suffering and depression sets in the body and mind. It is our mission as Yoga teachers to try and alleviate this suffering by teaching Hatha Yoga in all its aspects of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, higher forms of meditation, and relaxation.

As Yoga works on the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, we become calmer, more energized, and more relaxed. Therefore, we become more in tune with our mission in life, our path becomes clear, and we, Yoga teachers, are guided to fulfill our destiny.

Through the simple act of lying on the floor in savasana, we achieve physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual relaxation. Savasana is an easy asana where the aspirant learns to let go of body and mind. Thus seeing the realization of one’s true self, which is the source of all joy, power, and peace.

When we consider the benefits that we can directly and indirectly convey to people of all walks of life – even to children, our mission becomes even more important and meaningful.  The joy of teaching Yoga will come from seeing people transform form stressed out, depressed individuals to contented, physically strong people, who are beginning to question their way of life and their value system. Yoga is by helping them to look inward to the point where the Yogic path begins. Yoga is by making the world realize that true happiness lies within.

Below is a pledge for all Yoga teachers to consider.

I shall do my best to be compassionate, tolerant, and kind to others at all times.

I will strive to become the best Yoga teacher possible.

I will learn and teach all facets of Yoga as described by Patanjali.

I will strive to make teaching of this knowledge complete through continued study, daily practice, and Yogic self-development.

I fully realize there is pure contentment in finding and staying on the Yogic path, rather than make competitive comparisons to the progress of other teachers and practitioners.

Hari Om Tat Sat

© Copyright 2010 – Sanjeev Patel / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Sanjeev Patel is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.

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

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

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Finding the Best Yoga Teacher Training – The New Age Movement

Monday, June 7th, 2010

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

What is the New Age Movement? Is it harmful? What do New Age concepts have to do with Yoga? Why do some Yoga teacher training courses inject variations of New Age philosophy in their curriculum?

What is the New Age Movement? New Age philosophy is not standardized. New Age spirituality is often characterized by the individual approach to religion, spiritual practice, and philosophy. The New Age movement is a Universalist spiritual approach, which seeks truth and the attainment of one’s highest potential.

The New Age movement often borrows universal concepts from every religion and many different philosophies. Due to the lack of standardization, it may be classified as a decentralized spiritual movement. It could be said that New Age spirituality is the pursuit of a communion with an ultimate reality, spiritual truth, or God – through some form of direct experience or insight.

Is it harmful? If you listen to religious fundamentalists, anything outside of their religion is harmful. If we take an objective look at all religions, there are common moral principles. There are differences, but one who searches for Universal Truths is going to cross reference a number of religions, and notice what they have in common.

For most of us, it is much easier to refer to ethics and morality from the roots of our religious instruction. Stealing and killing are not endorsed by any of the major religions of this century. Yet, religious conflicts still exist to this day. This tendency, of  a few religious leaders, to incite violent religious conflicts, has inadvertently created the New Age spiritual movement.

What do New Age concepts have to do with Yoga? Some religious fundamentalists lump all ideas, outside their religion, into one common belief. The truth is – New Age ideas have little to do with Yoga. They may borrow diagrams of the subtle body, Yamas, and Niyamas; but they also borrow principles from almost every philosophy, religion, and way of life.

Why do some Yoga teacher training courses inject variations of New Age philosophy in their curriculum? Perhaps, the founder, or director of Yoga instruction for teachers, has spiritual beliefs, which are rooted in some form of New Age spiritual concepts. Always remember that New Age spiritual beliefs are part of a vast alternative spiritual subculture, and can also be based upon religions or philosophies of the past.

With no standardization in New Age philosophy, there are many different viewpoints. Since Yoga is not standardized, it attracts people who want to experience spiritual growth, and have a wide variety of beliefs. Either way – Yoga and the New Age movement are two completely different entities; but both tend to attract independent thinkers.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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

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

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Finding the Best Yoga Teacher Training – Tutoring Limitations

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Most Yoga teacher certification courses offer some tutoring, or contact, with a mentor. This form of contact is possible, regardless of whether you have chosen an on-site or correspondence-based Yoga certification course. It seems impossible to believe that an in-person training would not have tutoring for interns – but it does happen.

Why do interns settle for a Yoga teacher training that has no support? Sometimes, an intern is trying to do his or her best to save on costs. Some people want to become a Yoga instructor, but they run into a variety of extra fees. Some of these fees include: tutoring fees, application fees, test fees, material fees, membership fees, and the list goes on.

These hidden fees can double, or triple, the cost of the training to become a certified Yoga teacher; that is not including the cost of time away from work, travel, lodging, and meals. There is a way to filter out the extra fees. One method is to ask the director of teacher training what the extra fees are. Some programs have no extra fees at all. Also, beware of agreements that have a back page full of fine print.

Fine print often indicates that an organization has much to hide. When an agreement has print, that is less than 10 point font, it hurts your eyes to read it; and this is an initial warning sign worth taking note. Is the purpose of fine print, in written agreements, meant to deceive or confuse?

Is the institution a member of the Better Business Bureau, and what is their track record with graduates? Are graduates, of the prospective training center, successful and happy? Satisfaction among graduates is the bottom line if you have decided to become a Yoga teacher.

Interestingly, some online Yoga certification programs have unlimited tutoring by Email and telephone. On top of this, there is no application with small print to endure. Interns can also take advantage of using Yoga teacher forums to get guidance from experienced teachers in every part of the world.

The educational resources on web-based Yoga training sites are free for the public to use. Archives are often filled with research, translations of Yogic philosophy, and video lectures or demonstrations. This access to education makes web-based education an attractive option for Yoga teacher interns.

Yet, there is still some concern about online training. Is online training a good form of education? Almost every university in the United States has online, correspondence, or night courses. Does anyone think an online course from Harvard University is inferior? Harvard is a well-respected Ivy League college, and it has a great online education program.

Online education is a wave of the 21st century. We can ignore it, or embrace a flexible option, for the education of Yoga instructors worldwide.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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

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

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Finding the Best Yoga Teacher Training – Spiritual Courses

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Some Yoga teacher candidates are seeking more than a few dozen physical techniques. They want the whole mind, body, and spirit experience. It is understandable that an intern should desire complete training in a practice that has many spiritual facets and is thousands of years old.

However, some spiritual Yoga teachers say the meaning of “spiritual” is not religious. If we look up the definition of spiritual in a dictionary, the definition is stated as religious, concerned with sacred matters, a religion, a religious group, or religious texts. Is there a spiritual path, without some form of guidance, based on religious principles?

A spiritual teacher may be a Universalist, Hindu, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, or a member of any other religion. There is nothing wrong with having religious values as part of your spiritual foundation. Why do some spiritual teachers deny religion? Perhaps it all comes back to religious conflicts that have resulted in the deaths of millions.

Religion is a volatile subject and has caused many wars. That said, religious dogma is the historic fuel that incites armed conflicts. On the other hand, a spiritual teacher always has a religious foundation. To state otherwise is an insult to your intelligence. If one claims to be a spiritual teacher, he or she should know and be able to apply the spiritual principles that are being taught.

Spiritual teachers are able to point out references in Holy scriptures. They must also be able to point students toward logical solutions, by applying concepts to daily life. In fact, Holy scriptures are deeply valued for their ability to give us insight, into solving problems, at this moment.

Generally speaking, the spiritual principles of Yoga are rooted in Hindu beliefs. That said, all religions have common links. Humanity’s problem has been that we often see only the differences in religions outside our own. There is an inherent fear of outside ideas and religions, which has resulted in armed religious conflicts throughout recorded history.

In order for our species to advance, we have to focus on what we have in common with each other, and then appreciate our differences. Yoga is an avenue for a peaceful planet. The principles of Yoga are universal to all religions. As a result of this, anyone, of any religion, can see the link to Yogic principles and their religion. There is no need for religious conversion, or indoctrination, at any Yoga teacher training, to accept spiritual dogma.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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

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

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Become the Best Possible Yoga Teacher in Five Easy Steps

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

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

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The Best Yoga Teacher is Inside You

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Reverse Warrior - Yoga PoseBy Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Where can we find the best Yoga teacher? Who is the most mystical of Gurus? If I climb one more mountain, will the answers of my purpose in life be revealed when I get to the other side? These are questions each seeker (sadhaka) wants answered.

Many people qualify as seekers. They search for a way to improve the quality of their lives. Yet, they spend their lives on a quest to find a special person with answers to their life purpose, in remote places – only to find the true Yoga teacher within.

You can find the seeds of motivation by studying with great teachers, Swamis, and Gurus; but inspiration is cultivated within. For inspiration to take hold, it must be deeply rooted within one’s being. One becomes driven by a focused and true purpose in life.

For the sadhaka, this may require some guidance from a competent Yoga teacher, with knowledge of the higher forms of Yoga. The average practitioner of a Yoga exercise class has no idea what Maharishi Patanjali is discussing in the Yoga Sutras.

To add to this Yogic educational mystery, a sadhaka may read about raising awareness and consciousness in books, but he or she sees only asanas during Yoga class. What is one to do? If a Yoga practitioner has begun to “run into a wall,” there are answers in books and self-study.

The deception of Hatha Yoga is to look for visible forms of personal transformation and to think that is all there is. If that were so, Yoga would be the oldest recorded exercise system, and that’s it. There would be no need to bother with any other aspects of Yoga.

Meditation, pranayama, Yamas, and Niyamas would have little meaning, if Yoga were just another method to build muscles. The deeper truth is that long term practice of Hatha Yoga will create physical mastery, but with proper guidance, the sadhaka becomes the master of his or herself.

A multitude of changes on the mental, emotional, and spiritual level will occur through daily practice of any form of Yoga. This takes time, but self-mastery is the end result. Awareness, intuition, and a trained mind are the rewards of long- term Yoga practice. If you have learned well, you will be able to pass the knowledge on to the next generation of Yogis.

On the other hand, not everyone wants to teach. This is not a crime; but a lifetime of acquired knowledge is worth “passing the torch” to those who are seekers without answers.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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

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Practicing Hatha Yoga During a Financial Crisis

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Hatha Yoga teachers are suddenly seeing a resurgence of student numbers, within their classes. Many new Yoga students have one common factor, which has driven them to attend classes. In short, the population is experiencing chronic stress.

Local news stories from Boston to Providence, and across the United States, are confirming that the current financial crisis is “sending people over the edge.” In the face of stress, Yoga provides solutions that relax the body and calm the mind.

When people chronically worry, they also tend to lose sleep. When this scenario becomes a regular part of daily life, many different health ailments can occur, such as heart palpitations, high blood pressure, heart disease, back pain, headaches, panic attacks, and more. Many short-term forms of heart arrhythmia are caused by chronic stress and anxiety attacks.

Emergency rooms are currently filled with people who are stressed out over home foreclosures, financial problems, and the loss their retirement funds. According to some surveys, it is indicated that as many as 75% of the American population is experiencing chronic stress, over the current economy, and personal finances.

Yoga’s holistic approach toward total health is seen as an aid toward relieving stress and high levels of anxiety. Every student of Yoga is taught an ancient method, which brings about a state of inner calm. As you probably know, there are many forms of Yoga. Depending upon your age, and fitness level, one method may work better, than the other, for relieving stress.

Movement-based Yoga might be perfect for you, but it might not be the best solution for students with pre-existing joint injuries. Styles like Vinyasa, Power, Flow and Ashtanga, perform much more continuous movement than most Hatha Yoga styles.

However, gentle Vinyasa styles might be a perfect solution for the student who loves movement, but must be very careful about the amount of impact on his or her joints.

Styles, such as – Restorative, Iyengar, and Kripalu, tend to hold their asanas longer. These styles attract students from a wide variety of ages and fitness levels.

There are many more Yoga choices for stress relief, but it is wise to research the style and meet a potential teacher before you make a decision.

When considering Yoga, as a solution for chronic stress, consider the following questions.

1. Is the class, style, and teacher, you are considering, safety oriented?

2. Does the teacher take the time to answer questions?

3. Will you make a real commitment to practice Yoga on a steady basis?

As a student, you have every right to safe instruction within your Yoga classes. You do not have to settle for less than the best possible Yoga teacher. It should also be noted that Yoga has realistic stress management solutions for those students who make a commitment to practice on a steady basis.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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