Posts Tagged ‘Yoga Teacher Training course’

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A Concise History of Hatha Yoga

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

online yoga instructor trainingBy Sangeetha Saran

Although many forms of yoga training have existed for thousands of years, Hatha (the yoga of physical mastery) is a relative newcomer in comparison to the other main systems of Yogic methodology in India. Hatha dates back as recently as the 15th century with Svami Svatmarama and is the base for many popular styles today such as Iyengar, Bikram, Kundalini, and Ashtanga. Svatmarama is considered to be the founder of the Hatha system of yogic methodology, and his writing of the “Hatha Yoga Pradipika,” which laid out the basic foundations of the Hatha system.

Hatha has always encouraged relaxation while increasing flexibility, endurance, and muscle tone. Many beginners prefer to practice Hatha yoga as the pace of the classes are not rapid and the overall tone of the class is more laid back than other forms of yoga. Hatha can be broken down into two Sanskrit words: ‘ha,’ meaning sun, and ‘tha,’ meaning moon. This is a great representation of the type of yogic method, which Hatha has become through the centuries. It encourages both mental relaxation and physical awareness of the body, and this uniting of polar opposites is a beneficial way to view one’s practice and life in general. Hatha yoga encourages the proper skeletal alignment and correctness of a posture, or asana, more than most exercise systems do. The flow of the routine, or how quickly a person moves from one asana to another, is down played in Hatha classes in exchange for the proper form. This is another reason Hatha provides a good introduction to beginning students.

Seasoned students also come back to basic Hatha style classes as well to ensure proper alignment in poses they have done for years or decades, enjoy the relaxing nature of a class, and to work on clearing their minds for longer periods of time while in an asana than some other schools may offer. In addition to the focus on proper posture and alignment, attention is constantly drawn to the breath and the controlling of it during postures. While some postures are easier than others, it is the difficult ones that breathing may become labored or stressed. It is especially important to keep the breath constant during these times, just as in life keeping calm and breathing through the rough times will help everything transition much more smoothly.

The centuries that Hatha yoga has had to develop and evolve has not changed it much. Students of today still basically rely on the same instruction given by Svatmarama as laid out in his fundamental guide. These time honored traditions have encouraged millions of people from all around the globe to be more active, fit, and aware of their bodies. Hatha yoga has transformed and created the yoga that we know and love in today’s modern world.

© Copyright 2013 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Yoga Training for Busy Moms

Wednesday, December 19th, 2012

become a yoga instructorBy Faye Martins

I know, we have plenty of guys out there teaching, taking Yoga teacher training courses, and practicing in the studio or at home. I’m happy to see an increase among men who teach Yoga or attend classes regularly. However, I see a few young mothers during the week that really need some downtime. For some, they have a supportive family unit. For others, it sounds like their unit has fragmented. I’m thankful that my parents always worked together for the sake of the family, but times are certainly different one generation later.

If anybody can benefit from Yoga’s stress-relieving powers, it’s busy young moms. Trying to fit a regular practice in between changing diapers and driving carpool can be a challenge, however, and some moms who are hard on themselves for not being punctual or consistent may be tempted to procrastinate or give up Yoga altogether.

Fortunately, there is no “right” way to do Yoga. Not only are there many different styles of the ancient healing art, but also individual practices change over time, regardless of ability and lifestyle. The key to success is finding something that fits your hectic schedule and being willing to adapt your practice as situations change over time.

Five Yoga Tips for Busy Moms

• You don’t have to go to a studio to practice Yoga training. Arrange a private lesson with a teacher who can help you set up a realistic home practice, or search online for videos and routines for busy moms.

• If you don’t have free time, forget long sessions. Just five minutes spent stretching or lying in corpse pose can lift your spirit and relieve fatigue throughout the day.

• Deep Yogic breathing can be practiced at almost any time, and it helps to calm frayed nerves and restore energy.

• There are many kinds of meditation. Taking a brisk walk behind a stroller or mindfully preparing a meal can provide a respite. So can listening to soothing music or guided meditations.

• Gratitude and awareness are just as much a part of Yoga as asana, meditation or pranayama, and they can be built into everyday life. Keeping a journal not only documents special events; it also provides a reminder of the fleeting moments in children’s lives.

What better time to set a good role model than when children are little? Doing simple meditation, Yogic breathing, and poses with Mom not only guarantees quality time but also teaches kids to be more aware of their bodies and less prone to stress.

Restorative poses like Legs-Up-the Wall Pose and Child’s Pose are good choices for moms and kids to practice together. Studies have shown that Yoga helps at-risk students cope with stress and encourages them to get along better with others. Now that’s good news for busy moms and their kids.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga instructor training and continuing education courses for specialized Yoga certification, please visit the following link.

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

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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 Training for Healthy Joints

Friday, December 14th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Jenny Park

When you are young, you might be lucky enough to live without joint pain. You might not understand why skeletal health is such a big part of a yoga teacher training course. Anyone who has suffered joint pain knows what an important role the joints play in overall body function and a healthy, happy lifestyle. When the joints are uncared for, the pain can make it unbearable to accomplish everyday tasks. Whether you currently suffer from joint pain in the form of things like arthritis and other rheumatic conditions, or you don’t suffer at all, yoga is great for prevention, reduction or elimination of pain.

A joint is the connection between two bones that allows the body to move freely in several manners. Our bodies are amazing structures that bend and twist in ways that over time we may not be appreciative of, until it is too late. That is why exercise is so important; we need to keep our bodies in a physical state that allows for a good quality of life.

Yoga has proven to be a key element in keeping ourselves fit, and functional. Not only does it increase flexibility, improve joint health, and keep us a healthy weight; it supports a healthy mental being as well. Yoga training is an exercise choice that is gentle on the joints, and increases the heart rate in order to reduce any possible swelling. It also builds muscle through poses being held for some time. Strong muscles support the joints and relieve extra pressure on them.

There are many asanas that target the joints of the body, and anything therapeutic will help reduce pain. Some of the more well known Yoga exercises for joints are listed below.

• Forward Fold – This simple pose does so much. It releases tension in the back, legs, arms, and neck. Gently nod and turn the head right to left in the pose, and stretch the arms behind the back with the fingers interlaced for an added benefit.

• Sun Salutation – This sequence of poses is perfect for an allover joint benefit. There’s a reason it is often used as the very first sequence of a routine. It is best for the lower back and calves, though it can be strain on ankles and wrists.

• Warrior Poses – Work the hips by opening and stretching them. Incorporate a triangle pose for a flow of postures, and work the back and arms as well.

Tips for Students

Just thirty minutes of a slow and gentle style of yoga such as restorative, 3-4 times a week will alleviate joint pain, or keep the joints in tip-top shape. It is a small commitment for a huge benefit! Any person who has joint pain should research potential yoga schools carefully to find an instructor with specific knowledge of therapeutic practices to reduce pain. Look for yoga therapy or restorative sessions taught by a certified yoga teacher or therapist.  

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/Teacher-Courses/

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Teaching Yoga for Deep Relaxation

Thursday, November 22nd, 2012

yoga instructor trainingBy Kimaya Singh

If you teach vinyasa, hot or power Yoga classes, you might not get many requests for an expanded relaxation segment. Specific classes attract specific students and that’s why we have different classes on the schedule. That said, if you just completed a restorative Yoga teacher training course, the end of your classes should focus on deep relaxation.

Yoga Nidra, or deep Yogic sleep, is an ancient method of meditation that triggers a state of deep relaxation, allowing us to access the deep recesses of our unconscious minds. In this state of awareness, our blood pressure stabilizes, our immune system grows stronger, and our brain waves balance.

Not only does this make us healthier and calmer, but it also enables us to tap into the creative and intuitive processes that enrich our lives. Deep relaxation also makes it easier for us to change negative thought patterns and addictions by bypassing the conscious thinking processes that keep us stuck.

Scientific Research

Scientists now use encephalograms, or EEGs, to monitor and record the activity of the brain during meditation. After a short time in a relaxed state, the right and left hemispheres of the brain operate in sync, the production of good hormones increases, and the levels of stress hormones go down.

Practicing Deep Relaxation

This rewarding practice is most effective after a Yoga training session and often consists of a progressive body meditation led by a teacher. At home, students may use recordings or autosuggestions. Usually, a guided relaxation leads the mind through each area of the body until there is total relaxation, from the head to the toes.

It is in this state of mind that subconscious thoughts begin to flow, practitioners are open to healing suggestions, and emotional, muscular and mental tensions are released. According to Yoga instructors, one hour of nidra can be as refreshing as four hours of normal sleep.

Other Benefits of Deep Relaxation

• Makes learning easier

• Increases work productivity

• Improves sleep patterns

• Helps to relieve symptoms of illnesses like depression, asthma and migraines

• Flushes toxins from the body

• Creates awareness of the physical body and chakra system

• Lightens coronary workload

• Encourages positive thinking and motivation

• Releases blocked energy and restores prana

• Increases intuitive or psychic abilities

The potential for healing and growth lies within each of us, waiting to be developed. Yoga Nidra is not only a complement to a normal Yoga routine; it is also a tool for transforming our physical, emotional and spiritual bodies.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training and continuing education courses for specialized Yoga certification, please visit the following link.

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

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Teaching Yoga Exercise for Healthy Joints

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

yoga certificationBy Faye Martins

During most Yoga teacher training courses, the health of the skeletal body and it’s relationship with asana is covered. The weak links within the skeletal body are our joints. Our joints are the areas of the body in which bones are joined together, and this allows bones to glide freely and painlessly. When diseases like arthritis damage the cartilage that facilitates this movement, symptoms like stiffness and pain occur. While exercise is critical for healthy joints, overuse can be harmful. Yoga’s gentle, restorative postures help to strengthen these areas and keep them flexible, but every routine should be suited to the needs of the individual practitioner.

Stress and the Joints

While too much stress can damage joints, too little stress can lead to degeneration. Yoga students vary in their strengths and abilities, and Yoga instructors need a good knowledge of anatomy in order to respond to each person’s needs. Certain poses are designed to place stress on the joints, but they must be done safely to avoid injuries and be beneficial. Too much or too little stress is detrimental.

How Yoga Helps

According to studies at Duke University Medical Center, Yoga training relieves chronic pain caused by disorders like osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome, but poses must be performed correctly. When done properly, Yoga strengthens the muscles around the joints, increasing mobility and reducing tension in swollen, damaged areas. Props may be used to safely adapt the postures.

Five Easy Poses for the Joints

• Standing Mudra Pose is a stretch that helps to relieve shoulder pain by using a strap held across the back to open the heart and shoulder blades.

• Cobra Pose lengthens the spine and stretches the abdomen. Staying low in this pose can strengthen the core and improve posture without aggravating already-existing back problems.

• Supported Warrior II Pose is done against a wall with the arms at shoulder height and the outside toes of one foot, and the other heel, pressing against the wall. When practiced at moderate height this posture helps with knee pain.

• Bound Angle or Butterfly Pose is a seated posture that stretches the hamstrings, relieves tension in the thigh muscles and increases flexibility in the hips.

• The Wall Plank Pose is the same as Plank Pose but is done in a standing position against a wall to relieve pressure on the shoulders. It strengthens muscles in the shoulders and elbow and increases flexibility.

Although these poses help with pain in the shoulders, back, knees and hips, an experienced Yoga teacher should make sure they are being done correctly in order to avoid further injuries and maximize benefits.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga instructor training and continuing education courses for specialized Yoga certification, please visit the following link.

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

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Recognizing a True Yoga Guru

Monday, November 19th, 2012

yoga instructorBy Gopi Rao

How does one become a Yoga teacher? This is a question many people ask. Yet, becoming a guru is a mystery. There are many people in the world who claim to be master Yoga instructors, swamis or gurus. However, not all of them are created equally. Many of them may have gone through the necessary training and have spent years mastering their techniques, but may not have the awareness that is also vitally important to a help themselves or others. People connect with different teachers or gurus for different reasons. This might be because each of us is on a different journey or path, and we often mentally connect with instructors that can help us along when we need it the most.

There are many competent teachers who are well versed in how to achieve the perfect asana. Some Yoga teacher training courses spend 90% of their efforts toward perfection of asana, but as we already know, Yogic methodology is about more than just a perfect asana. It is also about connecting the body and the mind through the process of learning meditation, mantra and breathing techniques. It is about attaining peace and becoming more in tune with the true inner self. Beyond the basics, no one can get you there except for yourself. A true guru doesn’t make false promises about what he or she can do for you. A true master realizes that he or she is only a guide along your journey and that what you are seeking is yours to find.

People start practicing Yogic techniques for different reasons. Some don’t even consider the spiritual aspect of it; they are more drawn to the physical aspect and the discipline that it entails. There is nothing wrong with that, but many of those people find themselves drawn into the deeper aspects of practice more as time goes by, and not necessarily for the physical attributes. Yoga has a way of becoming part of our every day lives, and our meditations often cause us to look at things differently in ways we could have never imagined. That is the beauty of Yoga training, as it leads us to places that we often didn’t know we had a desire to go to.

One of the main premises of Yoga is truthfulness. We need to find our simple truths inside as well as seek truth from others in our lives. A true guru is someone who will accept your practice for what it is and help you attain your goals using gentle guidance, so that you may find the truth that you need. Your best guru is someone who can teach you to find the Yoga teacher within you.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training and continuing education courses for specialized Yoga certification, please visit the following link.

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

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Should Children Practice Yoga at Home

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Kimaya Singh

In a yoga teacher training course, many subjects are discussed and among them is the safety of our students in the studio and in their homes. Compared to many other child activities, asana, pranayama and meditation are not the most dangerous activities our kids can practice. However, adult supervision can help prevent children from pushing their limits.

Although there is some concern that children practicing yoga at home might be more susceptible to injury or unsafe practices, these risks are relatively small. Children can manage poses quickly and have little trouble progressing through poses, even those that are more difficult, which many adults struggle with. Despite this tendency in children to successfully practice difficult asanas, practicing at home must be done with safety and caution in mind.

Risks

Children and supervising parents should always attend classes that are supervised by a competent yoga instructor before beginning practice at home. This is because it is quite difficult to develop proper breathing and alignment techniques on one’s own; typically, corrections need to be made by an experienced instructor who can identify where the student is going wrong. Typically, attending around twelve classes can prepare children with the necessary basics for safe, at-home practice. However, regular class participation is recommended because of the bonding with other children, proper practice habits, and the life skills students receive in organized classes.

Asanas that require balance, can be risky if children are unfamiliar with balancing exercises or are too young or weak to have developed the necessary equilibrium needed for certain poses. Typically, attending classes or participating in practice with age-appropriate videos can direct children and parental supervisors to a pose series that children can be successful with.

Active and eager children also tend to move too quickly through a pose progression, which places their younger, looser bodies at risk for joint injury or strained muscles and ligaments. Thus, teaching children to take their time and emphasizing the relaxation purpose of yoga is absolutely necessary for at-home yoga practice. It is also a good idea for children to hold poses for 30 seconds or less in favor of doing more repetitions of each pose. If they are asked to hold a pose for too long, their short attention span might cause children to lose interest in correct pose technique.

Benefits

The benefits of yoga for children include better focus, stronger and more limber bodies and positive behavioral correlations like higher grades in school. Allowing children to practice yoga at home in an informal yet safe setting can allow children access to these benefits. 

If parents keep yoga fun and relaxed, encouraging creativity along with proper pose technique, children can release pent-up energy at the same time they give their brains practice at focusing and settling down. A half hour spent in an at-home yoga training session is going to be much more productive for children than taking that time to play video games or watch television or get online.

© Copyright 2012 – 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 report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Teaching Yoga: The Hips

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Gopi Rao

After completing my third yoga teacher training course, one student raised her hand and asked, “Now that you know everything, who has more tension in the hips – men or women?” My answer was, and still is, “I don’t know it all, but both genders have a lot of tension and tightness in the hips.”

Whether we’re commuting to work or sitting at our desks, many of us have sedentary lifestyles. When we remain in any one position for too long, our muscles contract, creating imbalances in our musculoskeletal systems. One of the most common of these is in the muscles that move the hips.

What Causes Imbalanced Muscles?

The cycle begins with some kind of trauma, often caused by repetitive use, injury, structural imbalance or poor posture. Inflammation from trauma leads to muscle spasms, knots and scar tissue. Unless the process is interrupted, the condition gets progressively worse and affects the entire body.

Which Muscles Move the Hip?

• The hamstrings run along the backs of the thighs. When the hamstrings are too tight, the back rounds forward.

• The hip flexors consist of the psoas and the iliacus muscles. The psoas attaches the femur to the lower back, and the iliacus connects the femur to the hip. Sitting, running and pregnancy contribute to tight hip flexors. Activities, such as tennis or golf, that require a one-sided stance also tighten these muscles.

• The hip rotators include the piriformis, which runs along the back and side of the hips and connects the thighbone to the sacrum, and the gluteus maximus, which joins the pelvis to the thighbones. Tight hip rotators pull the pelvis out of alignment and limit range-of-motion.

How Does Yoga Help?

Hip-opening stretches reduce discomfort in the shoulders, back and knees. Yoga poses may also lower the risk of diseases related to sedentary lifestyles, prevent arthritis caused by overused joints and guard against osteoporosis.

Because imbalances in the lower body vary, depending on type of trauma and individual fitness, it is always a good idea to consult a teacher with a good knowledge of anatomy and therapeutic Yoga before undertaking a new exercise regimen.

Which Poses Open the Hips?

• Warrior Pose 1

• Reclining Hero Pose

• Pigeon Pose

• Cow Face Pose

• Bound Angle Pose

• Downward-Facing Dog

The damage to the body and the discomfort caused by tight muscles create a spiral effect that gets worse with time. Yoga, on the other hand, relaxes muscles and calms the nervous system, both of which help to alleviate tight muscles and encourage general well-being. The hips benefit, but so does the rest of the body.

Conclusion

No matter how many Yoga certifications you have, please don’t lead your students to believe you know everything. Our egos and our hips are works in progress.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

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

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Teaching Yoga: Student Objections

Saturday, September 29th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Faye Martins

Some yoga instructor certification courses, teach you to be responsive to your students needs, while others teach you to become a pseudo-drill sergeant. Depending on how you relate to others, you are attracted to one of these two schools of thought. One Guru thinks everybody needs a spanking, while many others stress student safety in their yoga teacher training courses. Let’s look at a way to balance compassion with guidance.

Yoga instructors must be attuned to their students’ needs at all times. In order to have a successful class, the students should walk away feeling light, stretched and free of mind. The ultimate goal of the instructor is to please all of his or her students by showing individual attention and catering to individual needs as much as possible. These challenges are not small and even the best yoga instructors will face student objections from time to time. Instructors should never dismiss student objections. They should always acknowledge the problem and do what they can to solve it.

“I Can’t!”

Many beginning students feel overwhelmed by some of the advanced poses. Sometimes the immediate reaction is to shut down with an “I can’t do this” attitude. The instructor needs to gently encourage his or her students to give it a try. We never want students to do things they are comfortable with, but on the other hand it is the instructor’s job to show them that they can indeed be successful. Perhaps the best strategy is to give students options when it comes to the harder techniques. Instructors can show them simpler poses that lead up to the more difficult asana, encouraging them to work towards specific goals.

“I’m Comfortable Here.”

As students progress with their yoga training sessions, many find a spot where they are comfortable. Perhaps they know all the asanas reasonably well and can go in and out of the poses smoothly. They reach a plateau where anything beyond seems a bit frightening. When students are reluctant to grow, their yoga training isn’t going to provide as many benefits as it could. When an instructor notices a student in this situation, they should encourage them to work harder on other aspects, such as breathing, visualization or meditation. Students can concentrate on each asana more and try to move in sync with their breath or hold each pose longer. Even the most experienced practitioners can go deeper into their practice to gain the benefits. Yoga teachers should try to encourage students to set goals and not get into a rut.

“I’m Too Distracted.”

Many students come to class with a busy mind and a stressed body. It’s hard for some people to let that go during yoga class. However, part of yoga means letting go of all emotions, thoughts and feelings for a while to allow the body to decompress. When an instructor notices a student who is often distracted, he or she should work with the student to let go during class.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

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

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Teaching Yoga: Headache Relief

Friday, September 28th, 2012

yoga trainingBy Kimaya Singh

When teaching students with ailments, there should be an encyclopedia that would compile suggested pranayama techniques and asanas for each condition. Can you imagine the size that book would be? Each of us has manuals, notes, texts, and study guides from our yoga teacher training courses, but we need comprehensive medical studies for every ailment.  Many yoga instructors still do trial and error methods.

When someone is suffering from a headache they feel the pain in different areas of the head and neck. It can also spread to the back and other areas of the body due to tension. It is important to discuss with students where they are experiencing the pain, and determine what type of headache they have in order to instruct them on the specific moves they can use to relieve their pain and return to some sort of normalcy. Not only that, but it is imperative, as always, to instruct them on correct breathing techniques as well as train them in the art of focus and mindfulness. Every good yoga instructor has their student’s best interests at heart and will create a place in class where they can not only relax, but tackle whatever issues they may have in their mind, heart, and soul.

Almost every technique can be beneficial in relieving headaches when practicing yoga training, but gaining some insight to these specific yogic techniques can help yoga teachers explain what works and what can irritate, when it comes to headaches. When considering what to avoid, hot or flowing yoga might be a problem, but many loyal practitioners would beg to differ. Each of us is different and anything that makes a headache worse should be avoided.

Below is a short list of yoga techniques for headaches.

• Legs up the Wall – This asana is perfect for getting to that place where your mind is quiet, and becoming ready to focus. It is important to keep the legs up, not necessarily at a 90 degree angle. Also be sure the shoulders are gliding away from the head and pressed gently to the floor.

• Standing Forward Bend – There is some belief that when bent upside down, gravity provides relief from pain, including headache pressure. So really anything that inverts you might provide relief. In forward bend, just hang at a comfortable place and slowly move head left to right and in a nodding motion to release pressure and loosen the tissues of the neck. If this method doesn’t give you relief there is no need to continue, but some practitioners swear it works.

• Reclining Twist – This is a simple move in which you keep the right shoulder down while twisting left, and vice versa. It is a gentle and relaxing asana, giving the yoga teacher a chance to instruct the student about proper breathing and self-awareness.

• Bhramari Pranayama – This is a widely used method to relieve headache pressure. Sit with legs crossed, close your ears gently with thumbs, place both index fingers on the forehead, and rest the other three fingers on your face with two over each eye. Breathe in slowly and breathe out with a hum.

Also advise students to drink plenty of water and limit their interaction with technology. This practice, along with a healthy diet and plenty of rest should have them feeling better.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

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

Free Report, Newsletter, Videos, Podcasts, and e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

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

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