Posts Tagged ‘yoga practitioner’

Yoga Lounge in the Airport

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

become a yoga teacherBy Jenny Park 

Fly-and Like an Eagle

In January 2012, the world’s first airport Yoga lounge opened, in Terminal 2 of the San Francisco airport. Painted blue with felt rocks to be installed this spring to help evoke the feeling of a Zen garden, this little patch of serenity was suggested by a passenger at an open meeting with airport officials. The suggestion fell on welcoming ears: the airport’s director, John Martin, is a long-time Yoga practitioner. It cost between $15,000- $20,000 to turn the room from a storage space to an area for asanas. If you need to locate it, follow the signs showing a figure seated in full Lotus, a sign that SFO officials had to devise themselves.

It’s not hard to understand why a Yoga lounge could be needed. A study in Newsweek in 1999 found that 50% of adults who flew on commercial airlines were frightened at sometime, and the events of 9/11 only added to that stress. Flying also exacts a toll on the physical body; immobility and circulatory problems from sitting for too long a period are common, with the most serious condition of Deep Vein Thrombosis leading to death in some cases. Passengers who try to treat their anxiety by drinking at the airport bar only increase the likelihood of health problems in the air. If only there were a way to improve circulation, calm the mind and decrease stress levels- oh yes, there is. Yoga.

Some airlines, like Qatar, China Airways and JetBlue, are already “on board” with Yoga, offering handouts or video instruction of poses that can be done while seated in the plane. Asanas like Ardha Matsyendrasana or Seated Twist, Marjaryasana and Bitilasana or seated Cat and Cow and a modified Savasana can all be done even in economy class, and provide the benefit of keeping the muscles limber and oxygenating the blood.

If you are lucky enough to use the 150 square foot Yoga lounge at SFO, there are some mats and props provided, but no regular instruction. Practitioners are invited to do their own private practices or simply meditate quietly. Asanas like Bhujangasana, or Cobra pose, Kapotasana or Pigeon Pose and Uttanasana or Standing Forward are all excellent choices for a pre-flight practice. Flexing the hips, buttocks and lower back will help counteract the lengthy time spent upright in a seated position. Be sure to do some restorative poses and complete a full final relaxation for maximum benefit.

© 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/

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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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Yoga Nidra for Emotional Resolution

Monday, September 5th, 2011

yoga teacher certificationBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yoga Nidra is an ancient Yogic practice that has been utilized, for hundreds of years, by spiritual seekers. It was used to support the rejuvenation of the body and for a balanced, healthy mind, by promoting the emotional resolution of a variety of life experiences. Yoga Nidra means – the sleep of Yoga. The goal of Yoga Nidra is not actually sleep, but a state of deep relaxation and witness consciousness. So, although the Yogi or Yogini is resting in a deep, dreamless state, he or she remains awake and alert of body sensations, thoughts, and emotions.

Nidra techniques are referred to in the Mandukya Upanishad, which was written in the first or second century AD. The Mandukya Upanishad details three levels of consciousness: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. The goal of nidra is not only progressive relaxation, it is also for the student to by-pass the waking and dreaming states, and come to rest in the dreamless, deep sleep state, where he or she can be aware of the causal field of consciousness from which all experiences that arise. As a Yogi or Yogini witnesses his or her thought patterns and habitual tendencies in this deep sleep state, the underlying beliefs that are counter-productive to happiness and serenity, can be uprooted at their very foundation. In this way, a Yoga student can purify his or her habitual patterns and choose more life-affirming thoughts and behaviors.

In Sanskrit, deeply ingrained beliefs and thought patterns are referred to as “samskaras.” These samskaras can be quite binding and limiting if they are fueled by overly-negative thinking patterns and beliefs. Resting in the causal field of awareness, during a nidra session, will allow a Yoga practitioner the time to be aware of these samskaras and the opportunity to attenuate their strength. As a Yoga Nidra practitioner witnesses and evaluates the veracity of his or her beliefs, the samskaras begin to loosen their hold, if the practitioner realizes that they are not quite as true as he or she had previously believed. With this new-found freedom from some of the more limiting samskaras, a student is able to uproot unsupported beliefs and behaviors, effectively changing his or her karma for the better.

By engaging in nidra practices, a student can literally merge with the causal field of reality, or at least his or her causal field of reality, and eliminate non-sustaining habitual thought-patterns and beliefs that may be causing negative repercussions and stagnation in his or her life. As a Yoga practitioner moves through the various exercises of Yoga Nidra, he or she will be more easily able to integrate difficult and painful emotional experiences into a more compassionate and wiser framework. This state of “eagle vision” and compassion will support a student in releasing unnecessary emotional burdens. As these unnecessary emotional burdens are released, a practitioner is free to choose healthier, more positive thoughts and beliefs that will support his or her quest to create a life filled with health, joy, love, and abundance.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Benefits of Yoga without Shaktipat

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

online yoga teacher trainingBy Faye Martins 

An aspiring Yoga practitioner may wonder if you can benefit from the practice of Yoga without receiving Shaktipat initiation. Shaktipat initiation is the awakening of the divine Kundalini energy that is coiled like a snake three and a half times at the base of the spine. When awakened by an enlightened meditation master, the Kundalini Shakti rises up from her resting place and ascends along the spine piercing each chakra. The culmination of her journey is the penetration of the crown chakra. At this point, a state of bliss is reached. This is followed by realization of the mind’s luminous essence. It is said, this state of clarity is experienced only by a devout Yoga practitioner.

In India, the traditional path required long apprenticeships. Traditionally, Yoga asanas, pranayama (Yogic breathing exercises), and meditation techniques, were practiced for years before receiving Shaktipat initiation. A Yoga student or devotee was guided through a series of preparation exercises and years of service to a particular teacher before he or she was deemed to be prepared to hold the transmission of divine energy. The Yogi or Yogini’s body and mind must be clean, strong and stable in order to hold the Kundalini Shakti and nourish her once she is awakened.

Of course, a modern day Yoga practitioner can benefit greatly from a regular practice of Yoga asanas, pranayama and meditation or centering techniques. Physical Yoga postures help to keep the body limber and strong. These postures also release tension, stress and anxiety that build up on a daily basis. Yogic breathing exercises such as Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing help to balance the nervous system and generate a feeling of calm alertness. Other breathing techniques like Bhastrika pranayama or the breath of fire cleanse and purify the nervous system and its 72,000 pathways known as “nadis” in Sanskrit. Bhastrika pranayama also invigorates and energizes the whole body.

These are still many benefits that a Yoga student will experience from a regular practice of Yoga even if he or she has not received Shaktipat initiation. A dedicated Yoga practitioner will experience life-long benefits from this ancient and well-rounded series of physical postures, breathing exercises, meditation techniques and ethical guidelines. However, a student who is lucky enough to receive spiritual initiation from a realized Yoga master will find that if the Kundalini Shakti is awakened prior to an ardent practice of Yoga, she will gently or sometimes not so gently nudge a devotee to live a physically and emotionally healthy and dharmic life based on many of the principals of Pantajali’s Yoga Sutras.

© 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!

 

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Pranayama and the Human Machine

Monday, May 16th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

The practice of Yogic breathing affects the human body in very predictable ways. The Sanskrit word, “pranayama” literally means the control of our life energy (prana). Prana is a bright and lively form of energy that is more subtle than air. It can literally be defined as the substratum of energy that is the essence of the universe. The practice of pranayama controls and cultivates our vital life energy, called “prana,” through concentrated breathing exercises of various rhythms, ratios, and sequences.

Through a steady practice of pranayama, it is possible to propel our life energy, and new oxygen, throughout the entire body. This practice revitalizes all of our organs, including our hearts and brains. It also helps to stabilize our endocrine system for optimal mental health and energy balance. Pranayama affects the human machine as a calculated method for balancing and revitalizing every cell in our bodies. It also helps to control anxiety and all the attendant health issues these problems bring with them.

One of the primary benefits of a regular pranayama practice, for the human machine, is that it circulates newly oxygenated blood throughout the entire body. As the heart pumps more vigorously, fresh oxygen is propelled throughout your entire circulatory system, into every nook and cranny of your physical body.

Better blood circulation, throughout the brain, helps to support optimal cognitive functioning in the areas of memory and concentration. It also helps to lower cortisol and adrenalin levels, which in turn, helps to alleviate anxiety and depression. As the heart and lungs are exercised more vigorously, these critical organs also become stronger and more able to circulate freshly oxygenated blood throughout the entire body. This gives the Yoga practitioner a deep feeling of calm well-being, as well as a reserve of stable energy.

Pranayama is a system of Yoga training techniques, whereby the practitioner consciously controls the rate, frequency, and ratio of his or her breathing patterns. Yoga breathing practices are said to purify all of the channels of energy in our physical and subtle bodies. The ultimate effects of regular pranayama practice are quite predictable in regard to one’s quality of life. As Yogic breath increases the quality and quantity levels of prana within our bodies, our energy levels rise.

Thus, our endocrine system is balanced, bringing about a sensation of overflowing with blissful well-being. A regular pranayama practice strengthens the heart and lungs, increasing cardiovascular health, and helping to lower blood pressure. If one values only the physical outcome of pranayama, it stands alone as the very best physical exercise in existence. Proper breathing is more important than any other form of exercise, due to the fact that we will only live a few minutes without breathing.

© Copyright 2011 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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

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Teaching Yoga and Practicing Kshama

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT

What is Kshama? The meaning of the Sanskrit word “kshama” is forgiveness, forbearance, patience, or pardon. In Yoga, and in life, there is much “empty talk” about the values of kshama. The lack of conviction, concerning these values, stems from our previous lessons in life.

As we age, we usually become more patient, but we may be tainted by life experiences. One reason may be the constant absorption of unpleasant events. Every crime and scandal is instantly broadcasted around the world - thanks to modern technology. The burden of absorbing unpleasant events takes its toll on the young people of today.

Young people, who consistently absorb messages of sad events, tend to become somewhat narrow-minded in their viewpoints. These same qualities can be observed in adults who cannot forgive. During the course of life, we learn that none of us is perfect, but anger and jealousy will destroy us from within.

How can a Yoga practitioner learn to practice kshama? One can learn about the concept of kshama, but to practice it daily is a voluntary task on the Yogic path. One point to remember is that forgiveness “starts at home.” To begin, you must accept yourself, family members, friends, and co-workers for being human.

Kshama may seem simple, but how many people make a sincere effort to put forbearance into practice? Almost everyone wants someone else to forgive, or make the first move, toward reconciliation. Practicing kshama is accepting each person as unique, regardless of their differences in comparison to us.

Every philosophy, government, political belief, and religion has an extremist wing. In addition to this fact, people can be steered toward anger. Yet, we know the path of tolerance and moderation, in all matters, is the logical choice. It is only human to be swept up by dogma, but the path of tolerance has kept humanity intact up to this point.

Why should Yoga teachers point out the values of kshama? If you listen to the daily news, on any given day, people need to be reminded about forgiveness and reconciliation. To accept the path of moderation is freedom from the burdens of hate, anger, and jealousy.

To accept extremist viewpoints is to create your own prison of hate. Do we want our life’s work to be remembered for what we created, or what we destroyed? Forgiveness is humanity’s legacy, while intolerance has been our curse. Kshama is contagious – share it with others and it will proliferate. Sharing kshama with others is a mission for Yoga practitioners and humankind.

© Copyright 2010 – 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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How Should the Topic of Philosophy be approached in a Yoga Teacher Certification Course?

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Yoga Teacher Meditating By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yogic philosophy is so vast that it could easily dominate a 200-hour Yoga teacher training. After spending a three day weekend, lecturing about how to apply Yama and Niyama in every facet of life, I realized that this workshop could have been expanded to two weekends.

However, the philosophy component is not what most Yoga teacher interns want to learn. Most people, in general, feel that Asana (Yoga posture) is the heart and soul of our practice. If life were measured only on the physical plane of existence, this might be true, but humans are also connected by mental, emotional, and spiritual growth.

Maharishi Patanjali mentions Yama and Niyama as the first two limbs of the Eight Limbed Path. Why would he mention them first? At the very least, he has tried to point out their importance. Over time, the message does not come out as it once did.

Essentially, a student should practice the first two limbs to become a serious Yoga practitioner. People confuse terms, such as “true Yogi.” Is a true Yogi someone who is a vegetarian, does not drink coffee, but participates in gossip?

There is a conflict in labeling someone as a “real Yogi.” Who among us has not harmed another being? Who among us has the superficial appearance of a true Yogi, but stirs up hate and intolerance? The truth be known, to follow Yama and Niyama, every day of your life, is not easy. Some will question why you do not participate in conjuring up negativity.

To do no harm, be truthful, avoid theft, be sexually responsible, and avoid greed are the Yamas. This is a simplistic explanation, but following these moral codes can bring much happiness to anyone who decides to live by practicing Yama.

To be clean, content, committed, to engage in studies, and to completely give yourself to God are the Niyamas. Again, this is a simple explanation, but this is not an easy road. Again, to follow Niyama will bring you happiness.

How many people wake up to complain every day of their life? How many people are clean in mind and body? How many people do not bother to finish anything? We do not have to pursue this line of thinking further.

The point Maharishi Patanjali makes, with the first two limbs, has nothing to do with drinking coffee or any other trivial matter. It is not an easy road to behave with kindness, tolerance, compassion, and give time or money to those who need it. Just by listening to someone who needs it, you a being a “good Yogi.”

Therefore, in a Yoga instructor certification course, interns should learn the Yoga Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Beyond this, an overview of the Gheranda Samhita, Bhagavad Gita, and the Upanishads would be useful. Time places limitations on the depth of learning involved within a 200-hour course, so interns should be advised to make self-study (Svadhyaya) a part of their daily life.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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