Posts Tagged ‘yoga teacher training courses’

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Online Yoga Teacher Education

Saturday, January 7th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Kimaya Singh 

The mind and body benefits of yoga are great, often leaving participants feeling as though they want to share it with others. If yoga is one of your passions, perhaps you have considered studying yoga as a profession, to impart knowledge to others, or just to earn extra money on the side. Becoming a yoga teacher today is as easy as ever, with the Internet offering many different online certification courses. The courses are designed for students to be able to work at their own pace, anytime day or night. Upon completion of the program, students receive yoga teacher certification which will allow them to teach yoga anywhere in the world. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone who has a little extra time and desire to study yoga right from the comfort of their home, and then market their skills to the community.

Aura Wellness Center, based in Attleboro, Massachusetts, offers many online training courses for yoga teacher certification. The original course, called “Yoga Teacher Training Camp-in-a-Box” was so successful it led to more specialize training courses including courses in Restorative Yoga, Kid’s Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Chair Yoga, Meditation, and more. The programs have taken on a life of their own, with many students having had great success at becoming yoga instructors and opening their own yoga teaching centers or businesses. Visit one of the Aura Wellness Center’s blogs to understand about the positive  experiences from online and distance learning yoga teacher training classes.

One unique aspect of Aura’s yoga teacher training package is that they provide the knowledge and skills to open your own yoga business. Not only will you learn the important yogic philosophies, the poses and how to teach them, but also the valuable skills needed to market yourself and your business. The yoga teacher training courses are well-rounded packages that include all the information needed in order to make a successful living by practicing and teaching yoga. It doesn’t matter if you are an experienced yoga practitioner or a beginner; Aura Wellness Center offers a course to suit many individual needs.

Decide if any of the yoga teacher training courses are right for you by joining Aura’s free community of yoga teachers. You can ask questions and talk to others who have taken the course, and get a feel for what the programs of study are really all about. Signing up for the community is is super easy, just enter your name and email address and you will be connected to a vast network of yoga experts and students.

© 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!

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Comprehensive Yoga Teacher Training Courses

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

yoga instructor trainingBy Faye Martins

A comprehensive Yoga teacher training program will cover far more than just Yoga poses. A comprehensive program will definitely cover the philosophical tenets underlying all of the Yoga practices. It will also clarify the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of a regular Yoga practice.

Additionally, a thorough Yoga teacher training program will have some instructional modules focused on working with special populations, such as at-risk teenagers and cancer patients. A comprehensive Yoga teacher training program will also cover the subtleties and nuances of teaching Yoga.

The philosophical tenets that underlie Yogic practices are based on ancient Vedic teachings from India. The Vedas, and the scriptural texts that arose from the Vedas, form a great body of knowledge about the science and embodiment of Yoga.

According to Pantanjali, there are eight different main limbs of Yoga practice, including meditation, asanas, self-inquiry and pranayama. Understanding the philosophy on which Yoga is founded is critical to the knowledge base of a Yoga teacher trainee. This knowledge will give an intern a firm and thorough understanding of the depth and history of Yoga practices, as well as enumerating the many benefits of a regular Yoga practice.

The more in-depth Yoga teacher training programs will also contain several instructional modules on how to work with different types of students who have a variety of health profiles. These populations range from seniors to children. These are only some of the groups with whom Yoga teachers are working.

There is a rising recognition of the many benefits of Yoga amongst the military, educational, prison, respite, and hospital systems. Many individuals in these settings benefit greatly from Yoga’s profoundly mental, emotional, and physical affects. This specialized niche also opens up many new opportunities for Yoga teachers to offer Yoga instruction to under-served populations.

An aspiring Yoga teacher who enrolls in a comprehensive training program will also learn about the physical nuances of gearing his or her class to the needs of students in the class. Designing an appropriate asana sequence is a critical skill to teaching an approachable, yet challenging class.

From day to day, the students who come to participate in your class will change. A great training program will offer you suggestions on how to tailor a Yoga practice to match the ability and energy level of your students on any given day. This is one of the many finer points of teaching Yoga that will be covered by an in-depth Yoga teacher training program.

© 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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Best Yoga Warm Ups

Monday, February 28th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Sangeetha Saran

Before engaging in a Hatha or Vinyasa Yoga session, it is important to warm up one’s body.  Serious practitioners and Yoga teachers spend time warming up before a class.  If one is a beginner in the world of physical Yoga, then it is especially recommended that he or she invest some time in doing proper warm up exercises before partaking in Yoga asana practice.

Doing some warm up exercises will allow a person to loosen joints and ligaments in the body. This warm up time will contribute to a better yoga session and prevent injuries.  Every movement based form of Yoga incorporates warm ups.  Yoga teacher training courses cover this subject for the safety of all students.

The supine breath is a popular warm up exercise. This simple warm up simply allows one to achieve better breathing before starting a yoga session. To partake in the supine breath, a person should lie on one’s back and then exhale deeply. As one breathes in, it is then important to raise the arms as high as one can. Then, a person should pause for one or two seconds before letting go of this position. As one breathes out, then one can lower the arms to his or her side. This exercise should be repeated about ten times before a yoga session.

Supine single knee hugs are another type of warm up exercise any person should do before starting a Yoga session. Single knee hugs allow the hip joints to loosen. For this exercise, a student will need to lie on his or her back. Then, this student needs to draw his or her knees to the chest. After this, a student should gently clasp the shins or knees.

Then, the student should deeply breathe in and hold the knees directly to the chest. One should then ease up on the pressure and repeat this exercise again. After releasing this pose with the one knee, then a person should do the same thing for the other knee. This exercise should be done about ten times for each knee.

The easy forward bend is another great exercise for loosening joints and ligaments. For this warm up, a Yoga student merely needs to sit on the ground with his or her legs straight forward. Then a Yoga student should put his or her arms straight forward. After this, a person should try to touch his or her toes. One may grip the legs, ankles, or heels when doing this sort of warm up. When the back muscles and leg-biceps are thoroughly warmed up, the more one will be ready for a Hatha Yoga session.

Overall, these are some of the best Hatha Yoga warm up exercises a person should do before any Yoga session.

© Copyright 2011 – Sangeetha Saran / 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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Yoga Diet Tips – Part II

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

Vinyasa Yoga Teacher TrainingBy Sangeetha Saran

Yoga teacher training courses cover the three primary qualities existing in the universe, which are: sattva, rajas, and tamas. Often, Yoga teacher interns are advised to consume sattvic foods. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is very important to the Yoga practitioner.

These foods fall under the sattvic category and are best enjoyed raw and free of sweeteners or salt whenever possible. Green vegetables are also carbohydrates, but they generally have so few calories and so much fiber that they can be consumed freely and should make up the bulk of the diet. Carbohydrates fill you up and give your body with the vitamins and fiber it needs.

When choosing carbohydrates to eat, it is very important to stick to complex carbohydrates. These are foods such as potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, rice and oatmeal. These carbohydrates are important for weight loss and maintenance because they are converted to sugar much more slowly by the body. This will prevent slowing the metabolism. The nutrition community currently advises that around 55 to 60 percent of your daily calories come from carbohydrates.

Simple carbohydrates can have the reverse effect and can actually slow the metabolism and contribute to weight gain. Such foods as sugar, candy, cakes, pies, cookies, fruit juice, soft drinks, or any other high-sugar food (including those that are labeled fat free), cause the body to release a hormone called insulin.

A quick or dramatic increase in insulin in the body can significantly slow or stall the weight loss process. In fact, high levels of insulin over long periods of time can slow your metabolism down so dramatically that it will actually prevent the body from using stored fat for energy. Just one helping of the simple carbohydrates, by itself, can spike the insulin and slow the metabolism to the point that the body essentially stops burning fat; in effect, stopping weight loss.

Yoga teachers should make any reliable dietary information available to their students.

© Copyright 2011 – Sangeetha Saran / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Yoga Diet Tips – Part I

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Sangeetha Saran

Will Hatha Yoga teacher training courses prepare instructors for working with obese populations? Can Hatha Yoga teachers make an impact on a less physically active society? Can the Yoga diet help people avoid obesity?  Among many other things, Yoga teachers should understand the Yogic diet.

At this time, people move around less than our grandparents did. More technology means less movement as we sit at computers for an occupation. Yoga movement alone cannot make up for sitting still all day. Below is part one of a two part series, which takes a closer look at our eating habits.

Each food category plays an integral role in a healthy weight loss program. Aside from these categories, Yoga uses three traditional categories that are aligned with a corresponding state of consciousness. Sattvic foods are pure, good foods and support a spiritual state. Examples are foods which are cooked with minimum amount of spices or seasonings and are fresh.

Rajasic foods are stimulating foods and support only an intermediate state. Examples are fried, sweet, highly seasoned, or baked foods. Alcoholic, artificially flavored, and processed beverages are also Rajasic. Tamasic foods are overripe or impure and support a gross, undeveloped state. Examples are foods that are prepared with excess spices, salts, and hot seasonings.

Outside of Yogic thought, food is classified and divided into protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates or “carbs” are essential in order to keep your body functioning well. Carbohydrates are the direct precursors to glucose – a form of sugar. Glucose is what fuels both muscle tissue and the brain. Many foods, such as dairy, contain fats, protein and carbohydrates.

This category is very important because a Yogi diet is mainly a non-animal diet, consisting of fruit, vegetables, nuts and bread made of whole wheat. Carbohydrates foods fall into the sattvic or pure food category. These are a basic staple of the Yogi’s diet and examples are fruit, vegetables and grains. It is most important that these foods be enjoyed closest to their pure state. This means that food should be uncooked if at all possible, as cooking destroys vitamins and enzymes. Salt should be avoided and both fresh and dried herbs should be used to flavor food. In this way, the healthy natural flavor of food can be enjoyed.

An optimum Yoga diet encourages eating whole wheat bread and uncooked whole wheat every day. Uncooked wheat is superior to whole wheat bread in supplying enzymes and vitamin B. This vitamin is known to help combat the symptoms and causes of stress, depression, and cardiovascular disease. Natural carbohydrate sources are potatoes, lentils and nutritional yeast. These foods also supply roughage to aid the movement of food in the intestines and colon. Bread is also rich in B-complex vitamins and in the minerals potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron.

© Copyright 2011 – Sangeetha Saran / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Five Reasons to Become a Yoga Teacher

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Yoga Teacher TrainingBy Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Some Yoga teacher training interns have no intention of teaching, while others cannot wait to get their business cards printed. Some want to give, and others want to open a business as an independent contractor or own a Yoga studio.

There are as many reasons to become a Yoga teacher, as there are to attend a class. Below are five of the most common reasons why students decide to become a Yoga instructor.

Yoga Teacher Training as a Life Quest: Some interns are looking for a challenge. The type of challenge could be physical, mental, or emotional. A competent Hatha Yoga instructor should learn mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional self-discipline from his or her foundational training.

Giving back to the Community: Social workers, counselors, nurses, physical therapists, chiropractors, and school teachers commonly study Yoga to give their students, clients, and patients the gift of Yogic knowledge for self-maintenance.

The above-mentioned professions attract “givers.” These are people, who help or guide others, to self-manage their lives. Yoga, in all of its forms, will guide a practitioner to a life with less suffering. As simple as it sounds, less pain and suffering is a blessing.

Self-Mastery: Some teachers make the claim that Yoga is not a self-improvement system. Yoga is an art, science, practice, lifestyle; and every modern self-improvement system has borrowed Yogic techniques. If Yoga is not a self-improvement system, it is the mother of all self-improvement systems.

Healthy Lifestyle: Yoga gives us a realistic view of holistic health. It is really hard for us to be perfect. Diet and exercise can challenge us every day, if we set unrealistic goals. Have you ever met a person who was irritable because of a demanding diet? Hatha Yoga offers a path of moderation for exercise and diet.

Teaching Yoga as a Craft: Some graduates cannot wait to work for themselves. Maybe they had employers, who did not appreciate their talent, experience, or intelligence. Some Yoga instructors teach two classes per week, while others teach more than one class per day.

Conclusion:

Yoga gives us a better quality life, and we decide to share this knowledge with others.

Whether a teacher identifies with one of the above-mentioned categories, or not, is unimportant. If a Yoga teacher’s heart is in the right place, that is all a student could ask. Safe Yoga classes, led by one who demonstrates loving kindness, patience, compassion, and tolerance, is the ultimate objective of the teacher trainer.

© Copyright 2011 – Paul Jerard / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

In February, we will be introducing our New Yoga Sutras course with 7 CDs, 336 page workbook, 51 cards, instructions, and a bonus 89 page e-Book.

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, Paul

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Yoga Teacher Training – Secrets of the Yoga Sit Up

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

Beach at Yoga Teacher Training ResortBy Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250

Are your students requesting an exercise that tones muscles around their mid-section? Look no further. Hatha Yoga has many secrets. Among them is the Yoga sit-up. Mix in other postures such as Boat and Bow pose to completely tone the mid-section. Below are instructions on how to teach this practice.

Yoga sit ups should always be done in slow motion. Yoga sit ups should always be done with full awareness of the spine as you roll up into a sitting position “one vertebrae at a time”. Yoga sit ups differ fundamentally from leg lifts in that for sit ups you are rolling up the part of the body (the torso) that controls the movement itself, while in leg lifts you are raising up a part of the body that is merely connected to the lifting unit.

The initial position for sit ups is lying supine, keeping the thighs together, flexing the feet and toes, extending the knees, and pressing the lower back to the floor. Then, with the hands pointed toward the feet and the lower back held against the floor, flex the head toward the chest. Breathing evenly continues to roll up one vertebra at a time until you are in a sitting position. Concentrate on the action of the abdominal muscles, and stretch the hands forward as much as possible. Come down from the posture in reverse order, slowly rolling down, first the sacrum, then the lumbar reigon, chest and finally the head and neck, breathing evenly all the way. If you are unable to lift up significantly, just squeeze up as much as is comfortable, hold the position isometrically for a few seconds, and slowly roll back down. You will benefit from the posture.

Holding your back flat against the floor while initiating a sit up powerfully activates the abdominal muscles, and this enables them to act as prime movers for rolling you up and forward, but if you start with the lower back arched forward, beware. The abdominal muscles will be relaxed and less effective, and the psoas muscles will create excess tension at the lumbar lordosis, exactly as in old style sit ups. Do not let this happen. If you do not have enough control to keep the back against the floor, bend the knees before you do the sit up just as you would in crunches. Even if you are careful to keep the lower back against the floor as you start the sit up, the exercise still compresses the spine and should be done for only a few repetitions.

© 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 training 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!

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Secrets of Yoga Teachings

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

By Sanjeev Patel, CYT 500

Many people and some fitness Yoga instructors believe that the Yogic teachings are similar to other exercise systems. Yoga is not just another fitness fad. This narrow view of Yoga was a mistake fitness experts made in the 1990s. Some Yoga teacher training courses had graduates who learned about 24 postures (asanas). This spawned  a generation of teachers who were eager to learn the inner truth of Yoga’s teachings.

The fitness experts saw the postures and figured Yoga would rise and fall like the many other diets and exercise systems of the past. They were not aware Yoga has been around for thousands of years. This sacred practice changes people for the best. The following two aspects of Hatha Yoga are only the tip of the Yogic iceberg.

I. Pranayama: Ayama means stretch, extension, expansion, length, breadth, regulation, prolongation, restraint and control and describes the action of pranayama. Prana is energy, when the self-energizing force embraces the body. When this self-energizing force embraces the body with extension, expansion and control, it is pranayama. Pranayama also denotes cosmic power, or the power of the entire universe, which manifests itself as conscious living being in us through the phenomenon of breathing.

II. Meditation: Before yoga poses had been established the practice of yoga was to meditate. Ancients highly valued the esteemed practice of meditation for its ability to heighten intuition, and access a new level of knowing/being. By consciously relaxing into ourselves we too can experience the depths of the mind to gain insights and clarity. Listening inward and focusing our attention on the now allows us to experience the truth of who we are (Self).

Paulji has taught me that no matter what your spiritual or religious beliefs are, the ultimate objectives of Yogic teaching are spiritual beauty, improved health, emotional well-being, and mental clarity. The path of spiritual growth is found when we learn to forgive and increase our spiritual awareness. This will result in the cultivation of compassion and insight. A good person has spiritual beauty, regardless of his or her religion.

If I have religion, but I am trained to hate others who think differently than I do, what do I have? Spiritual beauty is not intolerance, hate, and prejudice. If my religion teaches me to hate, I need a different religion that practices what it preaches. Some extremists say that Yoga is only for the Hindus. Yoga has spread too far and it is growing exponentially. Nobody can stop the worldwide proliferation of Yoga practice.

The average Hindu sees the ultimate objective of Yoga as the attainment of liberation (Moksha) from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (Samsara). Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. It is said to lead gradually to knowledge of the true nature of reality. The Yogi reaches an enlightened state where there is a cessation of thought and an experience of blissful union. This union may be of the individual soul (Atman) with the supreme Reality (Brahman).

All people, from all walks of life, benefit from the many parts and forms of Yoga. A person who practices Yoga postures only will learn to become calm. Of course, physical mastery will be attained, but he or she will begin to think clearly and develop a beautiful heart of compassion. This heart of compassion is a spiritual awakening that changes the world for the best, one person at a time.

Hari Om Tat Sat

© Copyright 2010 – Sanjeev Patel / Aura Publications

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

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!

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The Seven Chakra System

Monday, November 1st, 2010

By Amruta Kulkarni

There are many different beliefs concerning chakras. Some Yoga teacher training courses will state there are eight major chakras, and some say there are seven major chakras.  Chakras have been known since the beginning of ancient Indian metaphysics.  They are nerve centers along the spine and in the head.  Each chakra is said to have special energies that can be balanced, cleansed, or awakened through a variety of Yogic methods.

The first is the root chakra found at the base of the spine. It is concerned with being grounded or anchored and its purpose is self-preservation. The second chakra sited at the pelvic centre translates from the Sanskrit as; ‘ones own place.’ This chakra is concerned with movement and flow and pleasure is the motivating factor. The third chakra located at the solar plexus is known as the power chakra. It is concerned with energy and the strength of a person’s will.

The fourth chakra is located at the heart and translates as: ‘unstuck or unhurt’ its purpose is relationships, self-love and balance. The fifth chakra is located at the throat and is named ‘purification’ its purpose is communication and creativity and is concerned with self-expression. The sixth chakra translates as ‘perceive and command’ and is located at the brow.

Its purpose is intuition and insight and includes clarity, vision and imagination. The seventh chakra is named: ‘thousand fold’ and is located at the crown of the head. Its purpose is understanding, and unity with the divine and is concerned with the spiritual connection, understanding and intelligence.

The seven main chakras can be summarized as follows:

Muladhara - The Base Chakra

Mudladhara Chakra Root Center located at the base of the spine, between anus and genitals. governs the excretory system, skeletal system, sense of smell, legs, cervix.

Svadhisthana - The Sacral Chakra





Swadhistana Chakra Pelvic Center located at the genitals, governs urinary system and reproductive system and organs.

Manipura - The Solar Plexus Chakra

Manipura Chakra Solar Plexus center located at the navel or solar plexus, governs adrenal glands,digestive system, sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

Anahata - The Heart Chakra

Anahata Chakra Heart Centre located at the heart governs cardiovascular system, respiratory system, muscular system, spleen, skin, upper back, hands and arms.

Vishuddha - The Throat Chakra

Vishuddha Chakra Throat Center located at the throat, governs the thyroid and functions of the throat.

Ajna - The Brow Chakra

Ajna Chakra Brow centre located between the eyebrows governs the pineal gland nervous system, pituitary gland.

Sahasrara - The Crown Chakra

Sahasrara Chakra crown chakra located at the crown of the head governs the brain.

© Copyright 2010 – Amruta Kulkarni / Aura Publications

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

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!

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Posted in yogic subtle body | 3 Comments »

Yoga Mantras for Coping with Phobias

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

When participating in Yoga teacher training courses, depending on the program, some interns may spend days of intensive study learning about the power of mantras. How can mantras help people with phobias? Do mantras have a similar purpose to chanting, praying, and affirmations?

How can the average person learn to train the mind with the use of mantras, chanting, praying, affirmations, or a combination of all of them? Let’s look a little deeper into the subject of mantras, and similar methods, for coping with phobias.

How can Yoga mantras help people cope with phobias? A traditional mantra is usually a Sanskrit word, or a group of words, which are capable of creating positive change within the mind. These changes, within the mind, may be mental, emotional, or spiritual in nature.

With the use of Yogic mantras, your mind can be trained to become your best friend. The practice of mantra is another method for creating a state of union with mind, body, and spirit. It should be noted that the practice of mantra is not the only way to harness the mind.

Do mantras have a similar purpose to chanting, praying, and affirmations? Yes, absolutely. The meditative or oral repetition of any word, or phrase, will train the mind. The first writings, in many ancient cultures, were composed by the most educated people of that time period.

Ancient scribes often wrote scriptures, prayers, hymns, and chants, for the purpose of honoring God, or Gods. Praying has given humanity hope through the darkest of times. Science cannot explain the mental and emotional benefits of mantra, chanting, praying, or affirmations. All that can be said is: “It helps people cope,” but there is no deep explanation of why it helps people cope.

Nothing in life is guaranteed. From the moment we gain consciousness, we become aware that this lifetime is finite. There is no time to waste on irrational anxiety and senseless fears. With that said, it is best to make peace with one’s self as soon as possible. Many would also say the same for making peace with God.

Regardless of your faith, or non-faith, the power of repeatedly transmitting positive messages to the mind will create a positive frame of mind. This is the reason why the use of mantra, or similar techniques, is timeless. The power to train one’s mind is such an asset toward the best possible quality of life.

If one does not want to practice mantra, japa, chanting, singing, or prayers, positive affirmations are always available, and just as powerful. “My mind is happy and my body is healthy,” may seem to be a simplistic thought, but say it 100 times per day and you will begin to believe it.

Can it be that simple? Yes, your mind is similar to an aircraft; and most of us have the power to be the pilot. To take charge of one’s mind will not remove all fears; yet, the act of taking control of the mind will reduce, or eliminate, irrational fears.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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, Paul

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