Teaching Yoga to Protect the Knees

May 19th, 2012

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

It is not uncommon to hear about former Yoga students, who dismiss the practice, due to the knee pain they experienced during a complex pose.  At the same time, it is not uncommon to encounter devoted students, who point to Yoga practice as a therapy and practical cure for the knee pain they once experienced, prior to beginning practice. As a result of these two conflicting ideas, people might wonder what is the truth.

Just like anything in life, the truth about Yoga, and knees, is both simple and complex. It is simply true that some Yoga asanas (postures) place strain on the knees, and that incorrect form can lead to knee pain or injury. It is also true that good therapeutic Yoga sessions can effectively end years of knee pain and debilitation.

This is where the complexity comes in: Practicing Yoga correctly can be difficult for many students because poses are often complex and challenging. Padmasana (lotus pose) looks easy enough, but an adult from a chair-sitting culture may cause harm to the knees or hips by trying to get into the posture. For this reason, new Yoga instructors should be aware that students would be better off working with Ardha Padmasana (half lotus posture) as a warm-up to Padmasana. It is possible for a student to attempt Padmasana for life and not be able to master this posture. Rather than frustrate our students, half lotus or Sukasana (easy posture) are viable options.

How Does Yoga Protect Knees?

Knee injuries occur under a variety of circumstances. Often, knee pain is a result of torn or strained ligaments or of a worn down meniscus, which is the cartilage within the knees meant to provide padding and cushion during movement and impact activity. Knee pain can also be caused by osteoarthritis in the knee or by misalignment of the kneecap.

In many cases, these knee injuries are related to a sudden injury (auto accidents, sports-related injuries, etc.) or a muscular imbalance. In the case of a muscular imbalance, quadriceps that, in their strength, over-compensate for weaker hamstrings, can cause an over-rotation of the knee, which results, over time, in pain and higher risk for tears, sprains, and osteoarthritis.

Therapeutic Yoga protects the knees by strengthening the knee and bringing stabilizer muscles in balance with each other, which aids in correct knee alignment and a more equal muscle strength distribution.

Tips for Teaching Yoga to Protect the Knees

1. In order to avoid the risk of knee injury inherent in some poses, a Yoga instructor must emphasize that students not force themselves into high risk poses that strain the knee. Often, these poses require flexibility that takes time to acquire, and students need to be reminded that this is a practice in patience and mastery rather than quick progression.

2. Yoga students, recovering from knee injuries, should also avoid quick transitions from pose to pose, as more abrupt movements, especially in complicated poses, can cause injury.

3. Yoga teachers should emphasize that some stretching sensations are necessary to improve flexibility, but practitioners should back off if knee pain flares up, regardless of the perceived level of expertise.

4. Legs should be thoroughly warmed up and stretched before a student launches into a pose, such as Padmasana, which can put pressure on the knee. Yoga instructors should consider modifying poses for students with persistent knee pain, ailments, or injuries.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

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What Should a Yoga Teacher Know About Meditation?

May 17th, 2012

yoga trainingBy Sanjeev Patel

Meditation is the process of calming and focusing the mind. It can effectively relieve anxiety, stress, or depression. Many people use it every day to calm and refresh the mind. There are many positions to take upon meditation, but we often think of the image of a person sitting with his or her legs crossed, hands resting on the knees, and eyes closed.

Modern Yoga and Meditation

Most basic Hatha yoga classes include some type of meditative aspect, but it usually is not the central focus of the class. New Yoga instructors don’t need to be experts on meditation, but they should know how to teach basic meditative practices and they should continue to study and practice in order to become the best possible guide.

In some Yoga classes, meditation is at the beginning and end of the session. In a typical Hatha Yoga class, meditation takes place at the end of the session. The instructor normally cools the students down with some floor poses, and then eases them into a meditative pose, such as corpse pose. As the students lie there feeling any new sensations in their bodies, the instructor leads them in a short meditation session.

Stage-by-stage Relaxation

Although, relaxation is not meditation, it is a valuable building block toward meditating and focusing. A relaxed mind is more willing to meditate than an over-stimulated mind. As a Yoga teacher, you want to direct your class by giving cues to relax each body part, from the toes to the tip of the head. The students are usually asked to breath deeply and focus their thoughts on their breath, while letting other thoughts flow through the mind without dwelling upon them. After about 10 minutes, the instructor gently eases students back into the world by asking them to wiggle their hands and feet, arms and legs, and then come to a sitting position.

Mudras

Yoga teachers, at the 200 hour level, should know a few basic hand gestures, or mudras. Mudras help focus energy to specific parts of the body, and can aid in healing. To perform the Guyan mudra, place the tips of the thumb and forefinger together, while leaving the other three fingers straight. Guyan mudra can relieve stress, insomnia, anger, laziness, and indecisiveness.

Another common mudra is Varun. Perform Varun by resting the thumb on top of the smallest finger, while the other three fingers remain idle. It can help cure skin problems, dehydration, blood disorders, wrinkles, and excessive body heat.

Hold the tips of the thumb and middle finger together to perform Aakash mudra. Aakash should not be performed while walking. It will help improve bone strength and result in improvements in overall body weakness.

Asanas

Basic meditation postures include easy pose, corpse pose, or half lotus. Most importantly, yoga instructors should teach students to sit in a posture that is comfortable for them. If a pose is not comfortable, the student will focus on his or her discomfort instead of meditating.  With that said, some your students may need to sit in a chair or on a cushion.

Breath Awareness Meditation

The basics of meditation begin by focusing within.  To ask our students to observe the breath seems easy for us, but try to remember how hard it was to suppress that little monkey that runs rampant within the mind.  Paulji may find monkeys comical, but I know, first hand, they are trouble.  Breath awareness may keep the monkey quiet for a while.

Mindfulness Meditation

This could be mindfulness of breath, an object, or a function like walking.  Mindfulness is similar to breath awareness because your students learn to observe and appreciate.  This is much different than controlling and judging.  Teaching yoga students to let go and relax through mindfulness is a challenge, but it has many rewards.

Many More Techniques

Mantra, Tratak, and Yantra meditation are worth the effort.  For Yoga teacher training interns, these techniques can be challenging.  One point to remember: Practice, study, and practice again.  When we become a certified yoga instructor, this is the first step of a life-long journey.  Every yoga instructor invests time in intensive studies and all aspects of the yogic way of life.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

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Teaching Laughter Yoga for Cancer Patients

May 15th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Faye Martins 

Laughter Yoga – are you serious?  Many Yoga teachers don’t even consider it.  Yoga is a serious art, science, and way of life.  Should we make it into a joke?  Paul Jerard often says, “we have to learn to laugh at ourselves.”  In fact, taking life too seriously could kill us.  Next time you think about adding a new Yoga class to the schedule, you might want to smile while you’re doing it.

Evidently, laughter really is the best medicine. M. D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, known for its innovative research and cutting-edge technology, recently added an unexpected weapon to its arsenal of complementary care alternatives. Laughter Yoga, a technique developed by an Indian doctor in 1995, provides a light-hearted, healthy break from the grueling pace of medical procedures and offers patients a chance to play and connect with each other.

Already growing in popularity, the use of laughing Yoga in the medical field gives additional credibility and exposure to a practice that can potentially help cancer patients deal with anxiety and find support. Consisting of three techniques, laughing Yoga engages practitioners with chanting and clapping, laughter, and meditation.

A study based on results from 20 people at the University of Maryland suggests that laughter might be as effective as aerobic exercise in keeping arteries healthy. According to “Psychology Today,” humor has far-reaching emotional and physical benefits:

• It increases creativity and problem-solving abilities.

• It creates a sense of connection and synchronizes brains within a group setting.

• It increases pain tolerance.

• It lowers blood sugar levels.

• It increases the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain.

• It strengthens immunity and regulates blood flow.

• It provides support by bringing people together.

“Science Daily” reported in 2008 that health care workers who care for terminally ill patients say that constructive wit is the key to coping on a daily basis, and evidence shows that students learn more quickly when humor is part of the lesson. At Swedish Cancer Hospital in Chicago, laughter Yoga accompanies chemotherapy, potentially helping patients and caregivers at the same time.

Although researchers are not sure exactly how laughter works, some theorize that it may increase feel-good endorphins or stimulate the production of nitric oxide in the walls of arteries. Clinical studies conducted in India, Austria, Bangalore, and the United States, however, claim their studies offer proof that Laughter Yoga lowers levels of stress hormones and decreases the likelihood of helplessness and depression.

People who have cancer live with stress and uncertainty, states that foster negative feelings. Laughing Yoga offers emotional and physical relief that can improve the quality of their lives and possibly allow them to live longer.  Sometimes, Yoga instructors need to have a sense of humor.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

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Teaching Yoga to Balance Emotional Flow

May 14th, 2012

online yoga teacher coursesBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yoga students come to our classes seeking practical solutions to life’s daily problems. If one becomes overwhelmed by negative emotional energy, this can cause chronic stress, anxiety attacks, and many more health problems.  When we decided to become a Yoga instructor, we realized that many people need help to reach optimum health. In the holistic sense, health is physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.  Yoga is one of the oldest and most effective means of balancing the daily flow of emotions, and its benefits extend far beyond the mat or the meditation cushion.

Imagine the following scenario.

You are stuck in traffic, and you were supposed to pick up the kids at soccer practice ten minutes ago. To make it to tonight’s seven o’clock meeting and see that the homework is done, you are going to have to grab fast food on the way. You tense your muscles and hold your breath as negative thoughts race through your mind. You get angry and then you feel guilty. By now, you probably have an aching head and tight shoulders, and you still have not moved your car.

There is not much we can do to change our fast-paced lifestyles, but we can alter the way we react to stressful situations. Contemporary energy medicine is finally recognizing what swamis knew thousands of years ago. Our thoughts and feelings do one of two things: create blockages or enable the flow of energy throughout our bodies. It all depends on our reactions.

When faced with negative emotions, our first impulse is usually to suppress or deny them, but not expressing positive feelings can create problems, as well. Regardless of whether it is joy, fear, anger, or bliss, holding feelings inside makes it difficult to fully live in the present moment.

Yoga addresses this problem by synchronizing breath and motion. Flow Yoga, also known as Vinyasa, sometimes encompasses several Yogic styles and concentrates on accompanying each movement with either an inhalation or exhalation. Focusing on the breath also helps to gauge the length of time spent in each asana, or pose, and creates a dance-like synchronization of movements that prepares the mind and body for meditation.

Our mental, emotional, and physical health, are intricately connected to our breath. Our reactions to what we see, feel, and hear, are reflected by the rhythm of our breathing. We cannot disconnect our breathing from our senses, but we can use this to our advantage.  When teaching Yoga classes, emphasize the power that pranayama and everyday breathing have over one’s emotions.

The answer to emotional distress does not comes through detachment, but through allowing and observing emotions. To become the observer, allows one to seek a rational solution, rather than be buried by waves of emotion. Through Yogic meditation, we can become witnesses to our thoughts and actions, allowing our emotions and our lives to flow more freely.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

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Teaching Yoga to Build Strength

May 11th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Faye Martins

When you decided to become a yoga instructor, did you think you would get so many different requests? Many women and men want to gain strength without gaining size. As we know, more size is stressful on the leg joints and the heart. As a yoga instructor your mission is to help people maintain a long and healthy life.

As most lifelong yogis will explain, the original purpose of practicing yoga was not physical fitness or weight loss; rather, yoga is a spiritual discipline that uses increased connection with the physical body to achieve personal transcendence. Since the rapid proliferation of yoga studios all over the world over the last two decades, however, yoga has undergone a modernization wherein some of the most popular forms of yoga are practiced as exercise, rather than as a spiritual practice.

The reasons why a spiritual discipline has been transformed into a mostly physical one are numerous, but it is nearly certain that yoga probably would not have become so popular if it were not for advantages of firming the body, strength building, increased flexibility and aerobic improvements. Yoga instructors soon realized that advocating a yogic lifestyle as a tool for better health and fitness would attract a variety of practitioners.

Yoga does build strength. As beginners know, many of the poses are difficult to hold and muscles can begin to quake early on in a yoga session. As muscles fatigue and continue to work, they undergo a process where they are broken down and then built back up during rest periods. This makes the body stronger.

Tips for Teaching Yoga to Build Strength

1. Remind students to be patient. While weight training typically isolates muscle groups and allows individuals to bulk up and see results relatively quickly, yoga practice builds strength via body weight lifts and holds. In other words, the weight a yoga student lifts is his or her own, and this can take longer than a typical weight lifting routine to build strength because it is a slower approach designed to improve physical health over time.

2. Keep the flow fast so muscles will have less time to recover after a challenging pose. This will ensure that muscle groups tire quicker and thus have to work harder in yoga poses.

3. As students progress in yoga, instructors can adapt a series of movements by encouraging students to hold poses longer and do more repetitions. Doing more repetitions means that yogis will work the same muscle groups harder during a single yoga session, building more strength and endurance than they would with fewer repetitions.

4. Focus on balance, inversion and standing poses to build the most strength. Remember that a yoga series should strengthen the body in balance instead of isolating legs one day and doing arms the next, which is the standard practice of weight-lifting routines.

Conclusion

As a teacher, you may be asked about yoga for sciatica, headaches, and thyroid. We customize private lessons for students all the time. Yet, we could easily start a workshop that addresses building strength. If it becomes popular, you have a new or seasonal class on the schedule. Becoming a yoga instructor requires creativity, consistency, study, and a lot of practice.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

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Teach Yoga Students to Manage Back Pain

May 9th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Faye Martins

When you teach yoga classes, how often do students ask about techniques to reduce back pain?  Study after study shows that yoga helps significantly with managing back pain in conjunction with medical treatment. Yoga strengthens and balances the body while it grants students more control of their minds. Each of these factors alone become huge benefits, when dealing with back pain, but together, they feel like a miracle. Participants of one study reported a decrease in pain,  functional disability, and depression. Sixty-eight percent of the participants of that study assigned to practice yoga also continued to practice the art after the study concluded. Even though chronic back pain can be one of the hardest common conditions to live with and treat, yoga can significantly improve the quality of life of back pain sufferers.

One form of yoga commonly practiced to deal with back pain is Restorative yoga; it has specifically been shown to improve mood as well as lessen the pain. Restorative is a therapeutic form of yoga. It strengthens muscles and brings the body into alignment. It is exercise, and like any exercise, it releases dopamine, which vastly improves the mood of the person exercising. This effect is so strong that exercise has been found in scientific studies to be a more effective treatment for depression than drugs in all but the most extreme cases. It is the ultimate mood-booster and promoter of well-being.

Restorative is a contemporary form of yoga specifically developed for therapeutic purposes and many studies have reported excellent results with its use. Viniyoga and Iyengar yoga, are also used to treat back pain, these methods place emphasis on proper technique and form in order to bring the body into alignment. By bringing the spine specifically into proper alignment, many symptoms of back pain can be relieved. Certain branches of chiropractic medicine and yoga also believe that bringing the spine into alignment can solve other health problems. According to these philosophies, because there are energy meridians or channels running along the spine, proper alignment allows for optimal flow — and therefore, ideal health — in all areas of life and the body.

Yoga’s strong emphasis on not just the body, but the mind, is also theorized to be a huge help in the treatment of back pain. By quieting and controlling the mind, many things are possible. First, relaxation is widely known to have an impact on pain. Anxiety causes tension, and tension causes pain. Secondly, a conscious control of the mind can help greatly in managing pain by directing attention elsewhere. The pain may still be there, but you don’t necessarily have to focus on it. Some have even claimed greater control of the mind has helped them consciously harness the placebo effect to help alleviate their pain.

Continuing education courses for yoga teachers have many directions to venture into.  When considering the direction of one’s yoga education, it might be worth considering your student’s needs.  When we encounter so many people with back pain, it might be prudent to learn more yoga techniques that can help them.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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

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What Should a Yoga Teacher Know About Anatomy?

May 8th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

There are a few Yoga teacher training programs that do not view anatomy as a priority. This may be true if the Yoga teacher certification is based upon teaching a style without movement. For example: The practice of Bhakti, Karma, or Jnana has little to do with asana (Yoga posture). Our view of what Yoga is can be very different from our colleagues.

Movement

The essence of Hatha and many contemporary styles of Yoga is movement, with each part of the body moving in relation to a counterpart for optimum “body balance.” Yoga instructors need to know how body parts are connected, in order to be able to help students adjust, when they feel discomfort. Anatomy is defined as the study of the structure of the body. When you study anatomy you learn the names of all the bones and how they are connected, as well as how the joints, ligaments, muscles, and organs, work within the body. All of these concepts are crucial to an understanding of how the body moves, the benefits of proper movement, and the dangers of incorrect movement. Yoga teachers do not need to be experts of human anatomy to be good instructors, but basic understandings of alignment, skeletal compression, and tension, are helpful.

Human Skeletal Structure

Understanding Yoga anatomy, in the most basic sense, means knowing the names, location, and purpose of the bones within the human body. Yoga instructors should know the difference between the femur and the fibula. You do not have to use those terms with your students, but they should be a part of your knowledge base. When students ask questions about specific poses, you will be prepared to answer them intelligently. Keep in mind that most Yoga students are out to achieve an overall sense of the mind-body connection and total relaxation. They do not necessarily desire to be confused by scientific information during class.

The Relationship Between the Human Body and Asana

Perhaps the most important anatomical information Yoga teachers need to understand is the relationship between the body and the poses. Yoga instructors must be aware of which parts of the body are affected by each pose, and how certain parts work together during the poses. You must always provide safety information and cues for students in order to protect themselves from injury. A Yoga teacher without any knowledge of anatomy might not fully understand the dangers of improper alignment.

Dangers of Speculation

Since most Yoga teachers are not anatomy experts, make sure you do not act like one. If a student asks a question that you do not know the answer to, advise him or her to seek help from someone who knows. Give advice only about matters, which you are familiar with. Many students come to our Yoga classes for relief of back pain, neck pain, headaches, or other chronic issues. Instead of speculating about what could possibly be going on within the body, offer advice only about techniques that should relieve the issue. Always advise a student to consult with his or her physician.

© 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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Teaching Sun Salutations to Raise Student Energy

May 7th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Faye Martins

Although there are a lot of technical terms, which we yoga instructors might use during a class, keeping the language simple does have its advantages. However, there are certain conversations that do require the use of yogic phrases, and generating energy during any yoga series requires first a basic understanding of what energy is and how it can be generated.

What is Prana? 

What yoga teachers mean by energy is prana. Prana is Sanskrit for “vital life,” and though the Western mind might have difficulty understanding this concept, yogis understand prana to be the force vitalizing all life. Prana is related to breathe because in some Eastern meditative philosophies, energy is revered, and so the practice of yoga — deep breathing techniques synchronized with poses — help the body interface with different energy channels within it. Yoga practitioners believe that this energy, this prana, can be accessed, generated and manipulated with a yoga posture series.

Generating Prana 

One way to generate prana is to warm up with sun salutations. Sun salutations create heat and flexibility and usually serve as the basis for vinyasa yoga sessions, including power yoga and Ashtanga yoga. As practitioners practice deep breathing techniques, of which there are a variety, they synchronize their movements with their breath to gain access to channels of energy, or prana, within them.

Practitioners have described occurrences where they begin their yoga sessions tired and not fully aware of their internal energy. As they begin to pay full attention to their breath, however, the mechanical energy that simply places the body into the correct pose begins to transcend itself. In other words, yogis describe an energy channel that pulls the body up on inhale and down on exhales, and this energy can sometimes even begin flowing into the pose itself.

Sun Salutations 

The sun salutation series are exceptional for generating energy because of how each pose flows into the next pose. What this does is allows our students, who are breathing correctly, the opportunity to create energy and then access it by working from, say, mountain pose to forward bends to planks to dog poses and then back up again. As the sun salutations stretch the spine and open the chest, they also challenge leg, arm and core muscles. By working all the areas of the musculature to generate energy and flexibility, sun salutations enable the practitioner to access and explore various energy channels and generate prana.

© 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/

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
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What Should a Yoga Teacher Know About Asana?

May 6th, 2012

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

Yoga teachers are certainly not expected to “know it all,” but students do anticipate a specific standard of knowledge and competence from an instructor. In order to be an effective Yoga teacher, you should possess a well-rounded body of knowledge, regarding Yoga’s history and roots, its benefits and cautions, and how to teach specific asanas. Most importantly, Yoga teachers should always have a source to consult when faced with unanswerable questions from students. As you gain experience teaching Yoga, and grow in your own practice, your knowledge base will also grow.

Lesson Plan – Sequence

When it comes to asanas, there are hundreds. Within those hundreds, there are many variations, depending on what type of Yoga you are teaching. If these numbers seem overwhelming, keep in mind that you do not have to know all of the asanas as a new Yoga teacher. However, Yoga instructors should know how to teach a core set of asanas. They should be able to put the poses together into a sequence, so students feel as if the class has a certain rhythm or theme.

When putting together a sequence, consider the starting point. Will the students be seated, lying on the floor, or standing? Ask yourself how you want the sequence to flow. Do you want it to start slow and easy, then move to more challenging poses, then end with more soothing, contemplative poses; or will the sequence revolve around a series of poses, such as a Sun Salutation? You can also group asanas by beginning with seated poses, moving to standing poses, and ending with floor poses.

Cueing

It is not enough for Yoga instructors to know the asanas. As a Yoga teacher, you should be able to demonstrate them to the students, while giving important verbal cues to look for within the body. For example, when teaching Warrior I pose (Virabhadrasana I), you must always remind the students to keep their front knee above the ankle, not the toes. You must remind them to keep their hips faced forward, and their shoulders down (not locked into hyper-extension). Each pose has its own set of cues that help students perfect the asana, as well as avoid injuries or strains. Keep in mind that demonstrating the poses is about the students achieving the posture, not about a perfect Yoga teacher modeling a perfect pose.

Observation

Always put yourself in a position to see exactly what all of your students are doing. This entails walking around the room – at times when it would be impossible to know if your students are practicing correctly, unless you get off your mat to observe them. Turn your mat to face your students and always remember it is their class. Our personal practice does not take place during student class time.

Modification

As a Yoga instructor, you must realize everyone’s body is different. We cannot put students into a mold. Learn and develop the best methods for using props. Get past the idea that props are for beginners. Props are therapeutic and help students develop the best possible alignment for their bodies.

Adjustment – Assisting

Get permission before you make a physical assist. Take a specialized Yoga teacher training course if you do not know the rules of alignment for different bodies. For example: When teaching Triangle (Trikonasana), it might be impossible to adjust every student into perfect alignment. Be gentle, patient, compassionate, and never force muscles or joints. Do not spend all of your time “over handling” students. The best student experience is the culture we want to create during class time.

Risks

There are always certain risks involved with each pose. It is the Yoga teacher’s job to inform his or her students of all potential risks involved with each pose. A competent Yoga instructor should know the health and injury history of each student, in order to provide specific students with cautions or adaptations for poses.

© 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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Spicing Up Your Classes With Power Yoga

May 5th, 2012

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

Every teacher, or studio, eventually receives requests from experienced students for a challenge.  How can we keep our classes safe and give students a challenge?  As a Yoga instructor, you have many options – among them are Power, Vinyasa, Hot, and Hatha styles that hold asanas for minutes to build strength.  If you are really sharp at adjustment and modifications, you can modify for beginners, while giving your veteran students a challenge in the same class.

However, let’s look at a way to spice up your Yoga classes with contemporary style, which grows in popularity by the day.  Most of us feel that Power Yoga is not for beginners, because it is better to build a solid foundation, with precise techniques, before jumping into a movement-based class.  After all, we have Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) for beginners, and most of them are huffing and puffing after four rounds.  Many Yoga teachers are concerned with the lack of precision beginners have during a twelve step series.  As we know, condoning poor alignment is asking for trouble.  Therefore, if beginners want a challenge, give them rounds of precise Surya Namaskar.  There are many variations of Surya Namaskar to choose from, and the variations of Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutations) are also an option.  With these endless options, you can teach students to focus on precision, and stamina, before they jump into a Power Yoga class.

The Beginning of Power Yoga

Although Yogic principles date back for thousands of years, Power Yoga is a relatively new style that became popular in the mid-1990′s. The term was coined by Bryan Kest and Beryl Bender Birch in the last half of the 1980s, and they used it to describe a physical version of a style, practiced in India, that is known as Ashtanga Yoga. Power classes are often associated with Ashtanga because of this background; however, the term can also refer to different types of Yoga practices, such as generic Vinyasa or a flowing, but precise variation.

The Power style is characterized by a more physical, flow-based physical practice, which makes for a better “workout” than traditional forms of Yoga. This style does not emphasize meditations or chanting and is often the type of Yoga offered in gyms. Since it is often derived from Ashtanga Vinyasa, Power Yoga links breathing to movement. The exact pace we set, for a series of movements, can build strength or make it aerobic.  For example: To enable your student in building strength, the poses could be held for longer than five breaths.

Types of Power Yoga 

Ashtanga Vinyasa

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a very challenging practice. It is the contemporary physical offshoot of Patanjali’s Raja Yoga.  In order to proceed through its three groups of sequences, practitioners must follow a precise order of techniques. Mastery of the entire primary sequence is required before the practitioner is able to move to the second sequence. As a form of Vinyasa, Ashtanga seeks to synchronize its movements with Ujjayi pranayama, as a method for linking the mind and body.

Hot or Warm Vinyasa

Warm or hot Vinyasa classes are based upon dynamic movement and heating up the room to, at least, 85 degrees Fahrenheit.  The temperature rise seems to be inspired by the principles of Bikram Yoga.  Bikram is a Hatha style that is practiced in a room that has been heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat keeps muscles warm and enables a deeper stretch during asana practice.  Bikram follows a strict pose sequence, that is performed twice, during the typical hour and a half session. Unlike Ashtanga, however, Bikram does not have levels of sequences; instead, the perfection of each pose continues to build strength and flexibility for the Bikram practitioner.  Whether you would like to teach your Vinyasa class hot, warm, or at a moderate temperature, the warmer versions seem to be popular in northern climates during winter months.

Generic Power Yoga

Although Ashtanga has a predetermined series of poses, Power Yoga can also refer to a class in which a variety of poses are practiced. A typical Power series could include variations of solar flows, which integrate Surya Namaskar with any other sequence of movement, and that flow well into each other. The point is – you are free to create balanced flows, which give your students endless, but safe, challenges.

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