By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 

The typical office setting often includes quiet cubicles, where people spend most of the day sitting in a chair, facing a computer keyboard. Perhaps, they roll over to a fax machine once in a while, pick up the phone, or turn and bend to pull open a file drawer. Sitting for up to eight hours a day, while performing very little physical activity, can affect the overall health of a person. Studies even show an increase in heart disease, diabetes, body weight, cholesterol and more, in people who sit all day long.

It is time for offices around the world to wake up and encourage employees to get up and move throughout the day. Many large corporations provide on-site exercise facilities, as well as time during the work day, for employees to use them. However, that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Many small offices do not have the resources to provide such luxuries for employees. For those types of companies, Hatha Yoga might be the answer. Yoga can be practiced anywhere, anytime, with little or no equipment needed.

Benefits of Hatha Yoga include stronger, leaner, more flexible muscles. Physical forms of Yoga increase blood flow throughout the body, giving a renewed sense of energy throughout the body and the mind. As the blood flow to the brain increases, so does creativity and critical thinking. Employers who encourage employees to practice Yoga, throughout the workday, will most likely see an increase in productivity as well. Yoga helps employees release built-up stress and anxiety, which will affect overall health. Employers might also see a drop in employee illnesses upon starting a Yoga program.

Yoga can easily be incorporated into an office setting. Employers need to find a certified Yoga teacher to educate employees about the proper alignment and practice of Yoga poses, teaching them how to perform them, and the benefits they can offer. Yogic breathing and relaxation techniques will also reduce stress levels within the office.  Then, all employers need to do is encourage employees to take Yoga breaks throughout the day. Employees might choose to spend five minutes every hour practicing one or two poses, or perhaps, they would rather take a half-hour chunk at lunch to re-energize the body and mind. It is important for employers to give their employees the flexibility to make office Yoga work for them.  Fatigue lowers productivity and Yoga reduces fatigue.

It is time for office Yoga to enter the work place to keep employees healthy. Since office work is generally sedentary, it makes sense to bring some movement to the day. Offices can designate a room for Yoga, or allow employees to practice in their own space. The nice thing is that Hatha Yoga requires only a small mat that rolls out anywhere. However, a Chair Yoga teacher could easily teach employees to practice techniques with office furniture. The more educated people become about the benefits of Yoga, the more likely it will be seen popping up in offices everywhere.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

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!

By Sangeetha Saran

Stress is a part of almost everyone’s life at one time or another. It can affect us psychologically and physically. The negative impacts include headaches, body-aches and a general sense of unease or anxiety. However, if we can learn to channel our energies by using Yoga, we can help lessen the negative toll that stress takes on our bodies. Yoga and stress relief go hand in hand and can help us deal with all kinds of problems, both large and small, that cause havoc in our lives.

The practice of Yoga can give us a sense of accomplishment. Committing to regular practice and then following through with that commitment is empowering. Yoga can teach us about physical and emotional strength. Meditation during Yoga can help to calm us down and slow our minds, which often leads to a better sense of self. Stress is often the side effect of hectic and over scheduled lives. The act of slowing down and enjoying the moment through the practice of Yoga can serve as a pleasant reminder to stop and smell the roses. Hatha Yoga can be a wonderful option for people that would like a gentle yet effective way to practice Yoga.

Yoga can also help to keep a body limber and strong. Flexibility and strength are two important aspects to a healthy body. The stretching during a Hatha Yoga asana session can help to get the blood flowing through the body and help to release endorphins. Those endorphins directly attribute to making us feel better. Physical activity is an integral part to lowering stress levels and leading a healthier life. Practicing Yoga can be a step in the right direction to maintain a healthy body. Power Yoga can be particularly beneficial for building strong muscles.

There are a number of options available for people who are interested in Yoga. Physically demanding practices such as Hot Yoga (or Bikram) and Power Yoga can help to sculpt muscle and build strength. Hatha Yoga is a more gentle type of practice and is especially good for beginners. As thousands of people from all over the world have found, the correlation between Yoga and stress relief can lead to a more enriched life and an overall healthier lifestyle – two things that are imperative regarding reducing the negative effects of stress.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

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!

By Sheri L. Lemon

“Due to differences in various minds, perception of even the same object may vary”. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 4.15.

There are many classical definitions of yoga and each well-known guru adapts his/her own style into their definition. Since we are all individuals and everyone’s “yoga” will look different, my definition of “Yoga” is that it is the union of the mind (through breathing techniques), the body (through asana practice), and the spirit (through meditation) to achieve stillness and peace.

What then is Vinyasa Yoga? The word “Vinyasa” is a Sanskrit term often employed in relation to certain styles of yoga. The term vinyasa may be broken down into its Sanskritic roots to assist in decoding its meaning. Nyasa denotes “to place” and vi denotes “in a special way”. It has now come to mean linking various poses together that create a flowing sequence and each asana is linked to the next by either an inhalation, or an exhalation. Vinyasa Yoga can be fast paced to where the practitioner achieves an aerobic workout and each asana is held for a very brief period of time. It can also be slower and more flowing to where the practitioner concentrates on each movement and asana while linking it with the breath and the end result is that the mind, body, and spirit are joined to experience the joy of yoga.

The “Father” of Vinyasa Yoga is thought to be Sri T. Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) who studied under such gurus as the Maharaja of Mysore. Some of Krishnamacharya’s students became tremendously popular teachers themselves. Icons such as B.K.S. Iyengar, who is very respected for his Hatha Yoga style and also his numerous books. Pattabhi Jois who branded his form of yoga as Ashtanga Yoga, a fast paced sequence that requires skill and power, which has become very popular in the West. Krishnamacharya’s own son, T.K.V. Desikachar, also became very well liked with his style of yoga that adapted the asanas to individual needs, which became a more therapeutic style of yoga. And finally, Srivatsa Ramaswami, who studied directly under Sri Krishnamacharya and also took what he felt to be the ‘true’ Vinyasa teachings of his guru and put them together in The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga. This book is a very popular and important part of anyone’s library that is interested in learning about or studying Vinyasa Yoga.

Why has yoga become so wildly popular in the United States? The image of yoga and the people that practice it has changed dramatically in the last 50 years, it is no longer seen as a “hippie” activity. Media coverage touting the health benefits of yoga are showing people that they can alleviate symptoms and even prevent medical issues by adopting a personal yoga practice. This issue is becoming more important to many Americans for a variety of reasons.

Vinyasa Yoga can benefit practioners in two aspects of their lives: one being the physical aspect and the other being the mental aspect.

One of the quickest improvements people see when beginning a Vinyasa practice is the improvement of flexibility and strength. Each sequence is designed to gently stretch not only the muscles, but also the soft tissues of the body. This includes the ligaments, tendons, and the fascia sheath that surrounds the muscles. By stretching the muscles regularly, lactic acid that may build up within the muscles is released alleviating stiffness, tension, pain, and fatigue. Along with improved flexibility, many people see an increase in the range of motion in some of the larger joints, such as the shoulders and hips, while also seeing an improvement in their spinal motion. People with arthritis and other joint issues usually welcome this increased sense of fluidity and ease of movement in their bodies.

Since hand weights are not normally used in yoga, strength is improved by using the persons own body weight in various asanas. While yogis are not usually viewed as “muscle-bound body builders”, their strength comes from well-developed core muscles in the torso region including the abdominals and back muscles, and also from strong arms and legs. The core strength that is developed will help the practitioner sit or stand “tall” and with the improved body awareness that develops, you know when you are slouching or slumping and can adjust your posture. This improved flexibility and strength will greatly benefit our aging population as they may be better able to prevent slipping and falling, or if they do fall, may be better able to get up from the floor or ground.

In addition to the benefits listed above, a new practitioner will see an improvement in their muscle tone, which in turn will stimulate an increase in metabolism. They may then experience weight loss, which in turn will help alleviate health issues such as Type 2 Diabetes, joint problems due to excess weight and high cholesterol levels. This new body awareness may also lead a practitioner to make different food choices. They may begin to choose fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables and foods that they feel nourish them, instead of heavy, convenient, fast foods.

The skeletal and muscular systems of the body are not the only recipients of the advantages of a yoga practice. Our internal organs receive needed pressure and massaging in poses that employ twists, bends, and inversions. It is through this pressure and massaging that organs expel toxins and wastes, while also receiving fresh supplies of blood and oxygen. Conditions such as constipation, thyroid problems, asthma, menopausal symptoms, are just a few of the many benefits of a complete Vinyasa practice.

Vinyasa Yoga also employs deep, mindful breathing that most people haven’t experienced since their infancy. This long, deep abdominal breathing will quickly improve a practitioner’s lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood, while at the same time, stimulate the relaxation response which lowers a person’s stress levels. Most new practitioners feel much less stress and more relaxed after just one class. This feeling of relaxation has an immediate impact on a person’s overall health, namely their heart health. With improved breathing techniques, lung capacity, and less stress, a person’s heart rate will drop along with their blood pressure and this in turn will lower their risk for a stroke.

To round out a full Vinyasa Yoga practice to include the mental aspects, a pranayama (breathing) practice and a meditation practice should be included. You may wonder, “why do I have to have a ‘breathing’ practice? I breathe every minute of my life”. But what most adults don’t realize is that the breathing they are doing every day, is not the breathing that will energize their mind, lift their spirits, tone their nervous systems, and just make them feel great. Once they learn how to breathe, Yogic style, they will realize just how inadequately they were breathing before. In a Yogic style breath, an inhalation through the nose, with the mouth closed, will expand the chest, lower the diaphragm, and massage the abdominal muscles and organs. They will then reap the benefits of fully oxygenated air entering the lungs and traveling throughout the body. An exhalation will lower the chest, raise the diaphragm, and contract the abdomen towards the spine. This movement will expel the built up carbon dioxide in the lungs and also completely empty the lungs of any residual air so that the lungs can be ready for the next inhalation.

James Hewitt describes meditation as a ‘mental hygiene’ in his The Complete Yoga Book. “Meditation cleanse the mind, refine and clarify consciousness, lighten the spirit, and foster mental poise and equanimity. Meditation calms and tones the nervous system, relaxes, harmonizes psychic energies, recharges psychic batteries, and cultivates serenity.”(Hewitt, p. 372). There are many different styles of meditation. What works for one person, may not work for another. Some people meditate by staring at a candle flame, some people incorporate mantras into their meditation, and some people meditate simply by closing their eyes and concentrating on their breath, while still some people meditate by knitting or crocheting. To have a successful meditation practice, each person has to find the method that they are most comfortable in. As long as they can quiet their mind, concentrate on their breath, and be present in the moment, they will be able to feel the benefits of a meditation practice.

Adults are not the only ones to benefit from yoga; children and teenagers can also reap numerous benefits when they include yoga into their lives. In this high-tech, face paced, hurry-up world that young people live in today, no wonder they are stressed to the point of developing “adult” health issues at increasingly early ages. Children and teenagers are developing adult on-set diabetes due to obesity at a very alarming rate. They are also developing high blood pressure and heart disease at ages that are far too young.

Yoga impacts children and teenagers lives in the same two ways that it impacts an adult’s life: physically and mentally. Physically it improves their flexibility, strength, coordination and body awareness. With these physical improvements, a child’s self-esteem is enhanced which may enable then to react to peer pressure in a more mindful way, instead of giving in, they may be more apt to say no to unhealthy activities. When a child is taught relaxation through deep breathing or meditation, their ability to concentrate and handle stress is greatly improved and this in turn creates a feeling of wellness within the child that they may willingly return to when needed. Some children may even learn to appreciate nature and the natural world around them at a much earlier age, this in turn may foster compassion for not only other humans, but also the animal and environmental world around them.

Once we have a Vinyasa Yoga practice in place, it should be practiced on a regular basis. But our practice should not end once we roll up our mats. We should strive to take our practice off our mat and into our daily lives. Why not enjoy the same serenity and calmness in our workplaces or our home lives? You may be surprised at your productivity, time management, and ability to breeze through tasks that before may have left you feeling overwhelmed and overworked.

Sri Swami Satchidananda states in his Translation and Commentary of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, “without practice, nothing can be achieved” Sutra 1.1.

References:

Hewitt, James. The Complete Yoga Book. New York, Schocken Books, Inc., 1977.

Ramaswami, Srivatsa. The Complete Book Of Vinyasa Yoga. Cambridge, Da Capo Press, 2005.

Satchidananda, Sri Swami. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali/Translation and Commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda, Integral Yoga Publications, 1990.

Health Benefits of Yoga. Available from: http://www.webmd.com/balance/the-health-benefits-of-yoga

Definition of Vinyasa. Available from: http://www.widipedia.com/vinyasa

Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, Director of Yoga Teacher Training at Aura Wellness Center, speaks to you about an easy approach to performing a Chin Lock.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 

Hatha Yoga is an ancient series of physical postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques, which help to balance and rejuvenate the entire body-mind system. Practicing Yoga, on a regular basis, can tremendously support children’s health, both physically and emotionally. A regular practice of Yoga, in the range of one to five times a week, has been shown to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, heighten self-esteem, and lower stress and anxiety levels that can contribute to the development of depression.

Yoga for Children’s Health

Due to the over use of television and computer technology, childhood obesity is at an all-time high in many developed countries around the world. In fact, childhood obesity has become one of the most critical health issues children are facing in the world today. Just getting children “on the mat” and actively participating in a structured exercise program, will help them to lose unwanted pounds, feel healthier, and boost their self-esteem.

Yoga can be adapted to any age range of children and many different levels of ability. In this way, a great Yoga class can be modified and tailored for a group of first-grade students, or a group of high-school age students, and beyond. On a purely physical level, the physical postures (or asanas) of Yoga, help children to develop good coordination skills, enhance somatic capabilities, burn calories, while increasing strength and flexibility.

Yogic Solutions for Lowering Stress in Children Today

In today’s fast-paced world, many children feel a significant amount of stress in school and at home. There is a lot of pressure on children and teenagers to keep pace with the increasing speed of life and to do more and more tasks in less time than generations before them. Slowing down enough to practice Yoga postures, breathing exercises, a few minutes of meditation or relaxation techniques, will help children to feel more grounded and less anxious about the pressures in their lives.

A vigorous Yoga practice will help children to release excess energy and feel exhilarated. A Yoga practice that is fun and challenging will also help to lower the high levels of stress hormones that can compromise their emotional, mental, and physical health. As children’s stress levels decrease, they will be more able to focus on their school work and will gain perspective on issues that are causing them anxiety and stress. Some of these issues may require outside therapeutic support. Other issues may be resolved, without outside support, as a child’s brain chemistry is re-balanced and an overactive nervous system is calmed by a regular practice of Yoga.

Summary

While there are issues regarding the safety of unsupervised Hatha Yoga practice by children, the risks pale in comparison to other physical activities.  It would be wise for parents to expose children to gentle forms of Yoga in a supervised environment.  Seeking out a competent Yoga teacher, who specializes in teaching children, is a must.  Parents, who are serious Yoga practitioners, may find a family practice to be fulfilling; and this is healthy for family bonds.  However, children need to socialize in a less competitive environment.  For this reason, specialized Kids Yoga classes give children a sanctuary from multi-tasking.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

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!

By Faye Martins

Yogic philosophy had its beginnings within early Vedic civilization. This was a very advanced civilization that inhabited the regions now known as India and Pakistan. Their Sanskrit scriptures, known as “The Vedas”, were heavily linked to the Hindu religion and gave rise to the texts on which modern-day Yoga philosophy is based.

Although written records of Yogic philosophy exist, many of the traditions were passed down orally from teachers to students over thousands of years. Hatha Yoga – the style from which modern practices arise – is largely based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, a text in which he explains the eight limbs of Yoga still recognized today. Vedic sages started with the first step and progressively practiced each one for years before reaching the culmination of all eight: Self-realization.

1. Yama – social conduct

2. Niyama – individual conduct

3. Asana – physical poses

4. Pranayama – breathing techniques

5. Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses

6. Dharana – concentration

7. Dhyana – meditation

8. Samadhi – ultimate state of superconsciousness, or enlightenment

Patanjali also described nine obstacles to the practice of Yoga that are just as relevant in the 21st century as they were thousands of years ago:

• Illness

• Self-doubt

• Lack of attention

• Lack of mental effort

• Lack of perseverance

• Over-indulgence

• Misunderstanding or false knowledge

• Laziness

Toward the end of the 1800s, Swami Vivekananda taught Patanjali’s principles under the name of Raja Yoga. While Patanjali’s Sutras were the major scriptures in the development of Yoga, other texts were also important:

• Upanishads – metaphysical concepts leading to ultimate truth about reincarnation and karma

• Bhagavad Gita – philosophy of Yoga in Hindu epic poem meaning “song of the blessed one”

• Gorraksha Paddhati – description of energy centers and explanation of chanting “OM”

• Hatha Yoga Pradipika – dissertation on the union of Hatha and Raja Yoga

Although the poses of Yoga date back before the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, they were not widely practiced by the public in India until the early 20th century. In 1946, Paramahansa Yogananda introduced the Kriya style of Yoga in his book, “Autobiography of a Yogi”. In 1948, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga was introduced and became the system from which many Hatha Yoga systems in the United States were patterned during the 1960s.

Final Summary 

Although the philosophy of authentic Yoga is about a way of living, Yoga today is often used to describe the physical practice of poses for the sole purpose of exercising and improving health. To reap the true benefits of the practice, practitioners would need to find a class that embraces the original teachings of the ancient Vedic texts – along with asana, pranayama, and meditation.

Let’s be honest with ourselves.  Most practitioners are too busy for the traditional Yoga teacher training.  Going through long apprenticeships and levels of dedication as a formal student within a specific lineage with one Guru is a thing of the past.  Do you have 10 years to leave your family and live in a monastery or an ashram?  Can you leave your job behind?

For these reasons, Yoga will continue to grow with online education and Internet networking.  It is up to us as Yoga teachers and practitioners to look deep into the Yoga Sutra, Vedas, and writings of the past.  In this way, we can pass the torch to the next generations of teachers, who will surely be more advanced in their ability to absorb the Yogic teachings of the past.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

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!

By Faye Martins

Yoga Nidra is one of the most complex of the Yogic disciplines with frequent challenges to those who wish to master it. Fortunately, the benefits more than outweigh any difficulties the practice presents.

The most obvious difficulty lies in simply falling asleep. The ideal conditions for a successful Nidra session are exactly the same as those for entering a deep, peaceful sleep. In the beginning, students will likely just fall into a deep state of rest, and this must be accepted. Given time and persistence, the desired state will occur.

Another challenge is in properly identifying a state of Nidra and differentiating it from other states. The state of Yoga Nidra is beyond words to the point that using a negative definition and explaining what it is not may prove the easiest way to communicate an idea of what the state is like.

Yoga Nidra is not lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is valuable as a practice in its own right, but it’s not Nidra. Meditation also is not Yoga Nidra, though meditation is certainly essential for preparing the mind for entering such a state.

Nidra is not simply an alpha state in the brain and it is not tied to any sound or music in particular. Recordings claiming to give listeners a ‘monk mind’ in as little as a month or a few weeks should be disregarded entirely, whether their claims are tied to Yoga Nidra specifically or not. Most worthwhile things in this life require some effort, and deeper states of consciousness are no exception.

Yoga Nidra is challenging and frustrating to beginners because practitioners cannot be guaranteed that their efforts will result in achieving the Yogic state of Nidra. In this way, the pursuit of Nidra becomes a powerful spiritual practice in and of itself, because it cultivates a state of nonattachment. Either Yoga Nidra will happen, or it won’t. The student should not be attached to either outcome.

Unless one is a Yoga teacher, or a meditation expert, Nidra may require a teacher more than other forms of yoga, and finding a teacher familiar with and proficient in true Yoga Nidra may prove difficult. A teacher helps students by giving instruction and using triggers such as bells or gongs to promote a Yogic state of Nidra within his or her students. Since one typically practices Nidra in Savasana (Corpse Pose), it is easier to be guided by the sound of your teacher’s voice or an audio recording; reading is not possible with the eyes closed.

Yoga Nidra is an advanced practice that is well worth pursuing, but it is also worth noting that though Nidra is different, it’s not necessarily better than other practices such as meditation or hatha yoga. Yoga Nidra, meditation, and hatha yoga work well together to promote inner change in practitioners, but no one practice is specifically better than another. These different paths all lead to the same truth.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

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!

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

C.E. Stowe (Son of the writer Harriet Beecher Stowe) summed up common sense beautifully when he declared: “Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.” Common sense is rudimentary and well beyond basic, yet increasingly it seems that we live in a world that is completely devoid of this most basic line of thinking. How can this be? What caused this decline?

One would think that in this modern culture, which places such high value on education and intelligence, that common sense would be prevalent; but simple observations prove this is not the case. Education and intelligence are good, but having a society overrun by self absorbed, ego-controlled individuals is not. We place such a heavy burden on our youth, to perform well on tests and in school, that we lose touch with their innate inner intelligence early on.

If you think about it – common sense is lost at an early age. The current generation is born, enjoys a few comfortable years as an infant and toddler, and then they are enrolled in preschool. From preschool, children enter into the school system and are taught to rush constantly towards the goal of becoming something better than what they already are. With that said – schools rarely focus on a student’s strengths and usually focus on weaknesses.

We are led to believe that we are an ongoing project that always needs to be fixed. Thus, we begin comparing ourselves to others at a very early age. From school, young adults enter the college world, in hopes of acquiring a degree good enough to enable them to have a job that is marginally better than that of everyone else.

After college, people are urged to build careers, and this takes up the focus of the rest of their lives. At some point, marriage may come into play, and from that comes a new generation of children who will enjoy a few comfortable years as infants and toddlers.  After that, children begin their own journey through the cycle of life.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but nothing inherently right either. From the start, we learn how to be doers and how to improve. We learn how to compare and judge, to compete and defeat. However, when do we learn how to be? Common sense is an important trait to master.

It has been said, “Common sense cannot be taught; either you have it or you do not.”  However, most people can easily master common sense through daily practice. At its core, common sense can be summed up as the conscious, focused observation of the world around you. Observation is sharpest when no judgment is attached to what is being observed.

True wisdom is the marriage of knowledge and common sense.  Common sense stems from one’s ability to quiet the egoic mind long enough to see and hear what the external world is saying. That is what makes it ‘common;’ anyone could have, and should have, thought of it, because the situation itself basically spoke forth the sensible answer.

Anything that silences the mind, even if only for a short period of time, will increase common sense levels. Common sense automatically comes into the picture whenever someone is intensely focused on the present moment. Hatha Yoga is the physical branch of Yoga, and daily practice will raise baseline levels of common sense simply by drawing the individual’s attention away from the mind chatter and toward the present moment, where it belongs.

There is infinite wisdom, and knowledge to be gained, by appreciating and experiencing, inner silence. Hatha Yoga serves to promote states of internal quiet.

© Copyright 2011 – 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 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!

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

All too often, people blatantly ignore their emotional state of mind. We live in a world that places importance on achievement, work, and business, in general. The more one’s emotional, physical, and spiritual needs are neglected, the more out-of-balance a person’s self-image becomes.

In truth, this is an illusion that the world has been lost in; and it’s a real shame. Emotional health and well being deserves to be supported; and if it is not attended to, an individual will eventually reach a place where one is no longer able to ignore his or her emotional needs, because it has become a serious problem.

When we are not honest with ourselves about how we are feeling, the body will still tell the truth because it does not know to lie. If the conscious mind is detached from feeling altogether, the daily practice of Hatha Yoga could help with making a mind and body connection, since it makes people more aware of what is happening internally and externally.

For some of us, much of our daily emotional distress is the result of trying, in vain, to control others. Yet, control starts from within. Yoga puts us in touch with our true nature and grounds us, so that we become strong – yet yielding; strong enough to bend with the winds of life – without breaking. This frees us from trying to control the uncontrollable.

Even the most unenlightened people know to draw a few deep breaths to calm themselves. Due to the fact that they instinctively know when emotions run high, they need grounding. Those few deep and focused breaths, often quiet the “monkey mind” long enough for a glimpse of inner calm, which results in a fresh perspective to logically enter a challenging situation.

Hatha Yoga exercises (pranayama and asana) are an approachable daily practice, which yield many of the same positive effects as meditation, without actually requiring an individual to be still for long periods of time. Yoga asana practice focuses on the physical motions of performing the postures.

Yet, asana practice requires us to be mindful, while contemplative moments come about indirectly, as a result. During the course of a good Hatha Yoga session, the mind is frequently still at various intervals, which, in turn, increases an individual’s connection to the source.

Hatha Yoga also stirs the energy within the human body, in order for it to flow properly again. The world is beginning to understand a truth that Yogis have known for centuries: the body is full of energy. When these energy currents experience blockages, especially in the throat, heart, or navel, a lessening of one’s emotional health usually follows. The constriction of vital life energy (prana), to these emotionally charged centers, leads to depression, apathy, and a feeling of being disconnected from spiritual beauty, as well as one’s fellow man.

The asanas, in Hatha Yoga, were designed to get the energy flowing again. When the energy is allowed to move freely, a sense of emotional stability and peace is the result. The addition of a complete Hatha Yoga program (asana, pranayama, meditation, and relaxation), to one’s daily routine, is a good choice for anyone looking to consciously improve their emotional health.

© Copyright 2011 – 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/

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By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yoga teachers have found many opportunities for teaching positions within the corporate sector. In office Yoga sessions, and corporate fitness centers, the need is based around holistic health, and proper posture plays a major role in maintaining good health.

These days, improper posture is so prevalent that it is eye catching to see someone with proper posture. It is not healthy to have improper posture for a variety of reasons, but fixing it is a bit more difficult than just making a conscious effort to sit up straight.

In the past, a lot of emphasis was put on proper posture; and it would have been considered unrefined to slouch. Nowadays, our culture is largely casual and sedentary, while posture is not a topic of concern at all. Surely, the rise of obesity, and the fall of exercise, has contributed to this unhealthy trend of poor posturing. When so many people are at risk because of being overweight, posture seems to be the least of their worries.

In addition, many jobs require hours of sitting. Until recently, workstations, desks, and chairs were designed with little, to no regard, for the structure of the human body. In situations with prolonged sitting in an improperly designed setting, slouching is a natural response. The rounding of the back feels like a relief at first, but it’s temporary. In time, pressure is put on places in the back that were not designed to carry that kind of weight load, resulting in back problems over time.

Most people think of bones when they think of the back, but they are missing something important. Bones are not the only thing that provides back support; the muscles are of, at least, equal importance. The muscles work with the bones; and they actually serve to hold the bones in place, in addition to providing lots of flexible, yet solid support of their own.

In order to cure improper posture, the core muscles should be built up and strengthened. Once this has been done, the posture will improve naturally, with a minimum of conscious effort, because it no longer hurts to sit up straight.

The movements in Hatha Yoga are designed to stretch and strengthen the core muscles, which include not only the muscles in the back, but also the abdominal wall, as well. Strengthening the abs is vital to supporting the back and improving posture.

As the core muscles are engaged, and conditioned, during Hatha Yoga sessions, the spine will be brought into proper alignment, which will automatically create improved or proper posture. Having a firm, strong foundation, in the form of a conditioned and flexible core, makes everything in life, even sitting, much easier.

© Copyright 2011 – 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 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!