Posts Tagged ‘yoga course’

Helping Your Students Heal with Viparita Karani

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250

Some Yoga teacher training courses focus on asana as a physical exercise.  This is a shame because asana is much more than an exercise for the body.  Asana has therapeutic value and it is a means toward Samadhi as described by Patanjali.

Asanas or postures in Hatha yoga help realign the body by stretching and lengthening every part of the body in a relaxed manner. By doing so, the body is brought back to alignment, healed and stimulated as needed. The philosophy behind Asanas are also holistic for it looks at the body as an interconnected part of a whole process and aims to purify and strengthen the organ, tissues, fibers, muscles, bones and the cells of the body.

Asanas are mind and body postures, through which we build strength inside our body. Blood and energy open gradually, and allow the organs to absorb fresh healing blood and energy. When a part of the body is affected by disease, it loses its sensitivity. During the practice of specifically therapeutic Asanas, energy from within the body flows directly to the troubled area and causes the healing process to begin.

Yoga is a psycho-physical-spiritual therapy that aims to perfect the mind and body as one unit to develop Realization of our True Self.  Viparita Karani (inverted lake posture) has many healing benefits and is an extremely mild inverted asana.  Below are instructions for using props while practicing this wonderful posture.

1. Place the blocks on its long side against and parallel to the wall. Place the bolster, one behind the other, parallel to the block. Drape the blanket over all 3 props. Then sit sideways in the middle of the bolsters, and place your fingers flat on the floor behind you.

2. Turn your torso toward the wall, simultaneously lifting your lets, one by one, onto the wall. Keep your knees slightly bent. Support your body on both palms, fingers pointing toward the bolsters. Push both palms down on the floor, and move your buttocks closer to the wall.

3. Bend your elbows and lower your torso until your shoulders rest on the floor. Fully straighten your legs, but please don’t lock them. If your buttocks have moved away from the wall, bend your knees and place both feet against the wall. Then press your palms down onto the floor, lift your hips, and move the buttocks closer to the wall. Straighten your legs.

4. Rest your head and neck on the floor. Loft your chest. Spread your arms out to he sides, palms facing the ceiling. Allow your chest, abdomen, and pelvis to expand and relax. Straighten and stretch your legs. Close your eyes and experience the serenity of the posture. Stay in the posture for 1-2 minutes.  Gradually increase the duration to 3-6 minutes depending on the amount of tingling you feel in your feet.

Just by practicing Viparita Karani, pranayama and meditation the Yoga practitioner heals mind, body, and spirit.

© Copyright 2011 – Amruta Kulkarni / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Amruta Kulkarni is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.

Click here for more information about Yoga teacher certification courses by Aura Wellness Center.

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!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Yoga for Health, Yoga Teacher Issues, Yoga Therapy | 2 Comments »

Questions about Yoga Teaching and Taking Our Yoga Teacher Training Courses

Monday, October 18th, 2010

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Below is a list of questions, related to our Yoga courses, and how to answer your own student inquiries.

Q: Before I get to teaching, what qualifications for Yoga postures should I have mastered? I am intermediate, and still have tons to learn – but do not want to teach a class and not be able to do the postures myself as a demonstration – or is that okay?

A: Mastery of anything (teaching or practicing it) is a life’s work. You are graded on your ability to teach others, more than your ability to master techniques.

Tip: Whatever you decide to create in a lesson plan, choose techniques that make you shine.

Q: Before I teach a class, would you recommend knowing ALL the postures inside and out, or the ones I plan on teaching?

A: You should focus on the Yoga techniques and postures that you plan to teach.

Q: What kind of questions do most clients/students ask about their Yoga class, and the answers, so I can be prepared?

A: The sky is the limit – there is no end to possible questions students might ask. Most prospective Yoga students want to know about results before they get started. I ask them to give Hatha Yoga a 30 day trial, just like a diet or a prescription. My point is: Yoga is not an instant cure, but they will see progress in 30 days.

The same expectations of progress can be expected with a proper diet or a prescription. In looking at the therapeutic application of Hatha Yoga – a positive change of diet, or a prescription drug – each one is an ingredient of a lifestyle change.

For the average person, the deeper solution is found in a commitment toward a healthier way of living. To understand potential questions that are addressed to Yoga teachers – my suggestion would be to go through our Forums and Blogs. You can see there are thousands of possible questions, but there are realistic answers for all of them.

Yoga Teacher Blog: http://yoga-teacher-training.org/blog

Yoga Teacher Forums: http://yoga-teacher-training.org/forum

Yoga Practice Blog: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/blog/

Q: I had someone ask me the other day, when I mentioned that a certain posture has certain benefits, and was stunned with the question “How do you know that those are the benefits, is this scientifically proven?” How would you answer that question?

A: Skeptics of all kinds are learning that Hatha Yoga helps people prevent problems and find natural solutions for many ailments. At the same time, the western medical community often recommends, and networks, with local Yoga teachers.

Therefore, the skeptics are seldom from the medical industry. More often, Yoga’s skeptics are people who need to see scientific proof of why something works. It is not enough to see that it works, but to have a scientific trial as to why it works is the only way for them to believe in anything.

The therapeutic application of Hatha Yoga and Yoga Therapy have been under scientific and medical scrutiny for centuries in India, and for decades in the west. Below are a list of websites that will give you reliable information about Yoga’s past medical, or scientific, studies and studies in progress.

International Association of Yoga Therapists: http://www.iayt.org/

Web MD: www.webmd.com

Integrative Restoration Institute: http://www.irest.us/

Samata International: http://www.samata.com/

List of Active Yoga Clinical Trials for Cancer, Stress, Fatigue and More:

http://trialx.com/curetalk/2010/04/list-of-active-yoga-clinical-trials-for-cancer-stree-fatigue-and-more/

With the climate of liability suits, in the west, it is unwise to dispense medical advice, if one is not a medical professional. Rather than make uninformed promises of better health, Yoga teachers should familiarize themselves with past Yoga studies and current studies in progress. We also have a Forum, Yoga and Specific Health Conditions, which can be found at:

http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/forum.php?id=12

When students ask about their health and Yoga, it is wise to point them toward published medical and scientific information, without making promises.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

To see our complete selection of Yoga teacher certification 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, Paul

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Yoga Teacher Issues, Yoga Teacher Training | No Comments »

Become a Better Hatha Yoga Teacher

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

How can we develop a system to improve the quality of our Yoga classes? Why should we care about becoming the best Yoga teacher possible? Is a Yoga session to be structured for the student or for the style? Let’s review these questions, to look below the surface layer of the underlying issues, and search for deeper answers.

Developing a system, for improving the quality of Yoga classes, is more than quality control. This requires Yoga teachers to continually learn and improve the art of teaching. The issue here is more than continuing education. To improve classes, we must implement what we learn and listen to student feedback.

Implementing what we learn is applying what we absorb from Yoga teacher training courses to our classes. Attending the best intensives, or reading the best Yoga resources, mean nothing until we perform the practical applications in class.

At the same time, courses we take should benefit our students. There are so many directions to go in, but some are obvious. Some communities are older or younger. It makes no sense to take a Chair Yoga certification course, if we cannot apply it to any of our classes.

If you are receiving requests for a specific type of class – that is the direction that would make the most sense to go in. If we have no interest in becoming a Yoga teacher specialist, we might consider bringing in an instructor who can meet the needs of this group. Another option is to refer your students to another teacher who can match their needs.

The point being: We cannot be all things to all people, but our knowledge should at least point them in the right direction. Relationships, with our students, may be short-term or last for life. Either way, we should care enough about them to give them the best possible options to meet their needs.

Regardless of which style of Yoga we teach, we are obligated to make our classes safe. If a student has pre-existing health problems, some, or all, of their practice may have to be modified. If we understand nothing about modifications, it would be best to point students to a Yoga teacher who does.

At that point, we have an option to learn about modifications or teach students in our specific niche. If we choose to exclusively teach Yoga to young athletes – that is fine. However, we have to be honest about the athletic requirements of our classes with each new student that comes through our doors.

© 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

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Yoga Teacher Issues, Yoga Teacher Training | No Comments »

How to Become a Creative Yoga Teacher

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

There comes a day when each of us “takes up the torch” from the preceding generation. For some of us, this event may happen in our family life, at work, with the passing of one’s Guru, or after a Yoga teacher training course has concluded. We learn valuable lessons from the generation ahead of us. Then, we initially tend to copy the ways of our teachers, before we become creative Yoga teachers.

Build a Yogic Foundation

It is good to have a solid foundation of knowledge before we become innovators. On the other hand, some restless souls cannot wait to “reinvent the wheel.” Creativity is a wonderful thing, but who wants to spend years creating something that was created hundreds of years ago? For this reason, each Yoga teacher should spend time researching the classic texts.

Let the Gurus of the past be your guides, through their writings and your independent research. Let the written works, and videos of today’s most innovative Yoga teachers, be your path toward becoming the best you can be. There is no need to travel the teaching path alone or to recreate what has already been created.

Remember the saying: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Why should any of us spend time creating a solution to something that has been solved years ago? This is why education, research, and building a foundation of Yogic knowledge, is so important for all Yoga instructors. Yet, there are many written works by Yoga teachers from the past and present. In fact, the book shelves contain more literature than a lifetime of reading could consume.

Social Networks for Yoga Teachers

At this time, there is no need to teach Yoga without peer support, unless you choose to. There was a time when teachers visited their Guru, and it was a great journey. It may have required a pilgrimage, mountain climbing skills, or traveling by ship half way around the world. At his point in time, we have teacher networks, air travel, and Internet Yoga teacher communities.

If you live on a secluded island, but have Internet access, you can trade ideas with Yoga instructors from any part of the world. When answers cannot be found within, it is time to look outside for fresh ideas. At the same time, it should be noted that not every new idea may be applicable to your classes or students. Each Yoga school is unique, and the same can be said for the students within a given school.

It is always best to test new methods and see which methods are a good fit for the greater body of students. When absorbing and testing new methods in your Yoga classes, it never hurts to network with related fields. Chiropractors, physicians, nurses, holistic healers, physical therapists, and personal trainers have practical knowledge in regard to safety and methods from within their professions.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

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

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Yoga Teacher Issues, Yoga Teacher Training | No Comments »

Become a Yoga Teacher – Finding Yourself

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

HalasanaBy Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

How do you define “finding yourself” and what does this phrase mean? Would becoming a Yoga instructor help one find himself or herself? There are many people, who struggle with their direction and purpose in life, but how can intensive Yoga training help?

When we say: “I need time to find myself,” what are we really saying? We feel lost, our sense of direction is off, and we may wonder why we are here. During times like these, we are spiritually, emotionally, and mentally vulnerable to outside suggestions.

Our belief system can be fragile, or unstable, due to sudden circumstances of our childhood. To find our direction and purpose in life, we should be able to look within – but what if we find no answers? In such cases, further study from reliable outside sources is required.

The traditional answer to finding oneself might be military service, academic education, technical education, religious education, or finding yourself on the job. Yet, for some of us, finding oneself may be a life long journey. The problem being – there is no “one size fits all” solution to finding one’s life purpose.

The traditional Yogic approach has been to become an under study to a Guru. If we have found a true Guru, we would hear the truth (sravana) from his or her teachings. However, faith in another human being may be limited. The typical Yoga teacher training may be more about exercise (asana) than finding oneself.

At the same time, online Yoga teacher course options have grown. An Internet- based Yoga certification course offers flexibility and little or no dogma. This allows a teacher or student the ability to find answers from a variety of sources.

This also reveals that there is often more than one possible answer to a question. Finding answers to the puzzles of life can be a challenge. Training the mind to seek rational solutions, ultimately, makes each of us a “finder” instead of a seeker.

To become a finder, one must open his or her perception (samjnana). There is no guarantee that any of us can find our life purpose, unless we begin to find the answers from within. True awareness (samvid) comes from within.

The best Yoga teacher in the world can only live so long, and carry us only so far. At some point in life, we must find answers and solutions on our own. This quality we know as “innovation” makes us teachers in our own right.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Yoga Teacher Training. FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

Yoga Certification Courses

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

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Recent Articles, Yoga for Inspiration, Yoga for Personal Growth, Yoga Teacher Training | 2 Comments »

Yoga Instructor Training – A Gateway to Self-Mastery

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Yoga class on the beachBy Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Taking an intensive Yoga course is a great way to take control of your life, direction, and destiny. Not everyone wants to teach Yoga classes, but an intensive course will instill inner confidence and reveal many methods for establishing self-mastery.

Intensives often reveal hidden facets of Yoga practice. These are not usually covered in regular classes, due to the revolving door of new students. It is easy for most students to become side-tracked during class time, in pursuit of physical mastery, but that is only one preliminary step toward mastering oneself.

The mind sits in the “driver’s seat” of the body. To develop a trained mind, through study, meditation, transformation, self-analysis, and self-realization is true self-mastery. To be in control, when surrounded by criticism and pessimism, is pure inner strength.

How often have you seen an elite athlete lose concentration during a competitive event? In a sporting event, the difference between victory and defeat is often related to the competitor’s frame of mind. Just the slightest lack of focus can become a major difference in the outcome during contests between professional athletes.

Many of us are so addicted to thinking that physical prowess is the final answer to everything; we often forget the mind is the driving force behind our physical actions. We see many people who display control, compassion, grace, awareness, and fortitude into their senior years.

Yet, seniors are often under appreciated, when engaging in conversations with their grandchildren. Who holds a grandchild’s attention longer – the cell phone or the good conversation with Grandma? If the cell phone rings off, most grandchildren will answer, even though they are in the middle of a conversation with a grandparent.

There is no need to say, “Excuse me” anymore. Do we blame society, parents, or technology? This is not the time for blaming anyone, or anything. It is time to realize that the power of the mind is being ignored by too many people. Technology has leaped so far forward that we are losing touch with ourselves.

It is often said that we are losing touch with nature. While this is true for a great many, it is also true that many of us run on auto pilot. Sometimes, children grow and nobody notices, until they move out. Sometimes, people consume two or three thousand calories during their commutes to work, without giving it a thought.

What could a Yoga teacher training course do to change this rapid pace of life? It depends on the subject matter covered, but you can easily find out by researching the course online or over the phone. You may want to inquire about the objectives, benefits, and requirements of a Yoga teacher course.

Recently, a friend of mine mentioned that the top requirement for all teacher interns, to graduate, was to stand on their head, at one of the Yoga intensives she attended. That is such a silly, ludicrous, and superficial requirement, that I could not contain my laughter.

Most children, who are 10 years of age, can easily pass the test; but if you have eye problems, have had a previous stroke, high blood pressure, heart problems, neck problems, sinus problems, or epilepsy – you would be wise to avoid performing a headstand.

Therefore, do your research about courses before taking one. Yoga is much more than a gymnastic event. Yoga instructors are human too. Many good teachers have eye problems, have had a previous stroke, high blood pressure, heart problems, neck problems, sinus problems, or epilepsy.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Yoga Teacher Training. FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.” http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

On-Site or Online Yoga Teacher Training Courses

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

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Yoga Teacher Training | No Comments »

SEARCH