The practice of regarding all living creatures with compassion and respect elevates spirituality beyond one's own self-interest. However, many of us forget the importance of being compassionate with ourselves. Without self-love, it is difficult to truly love those around us. Additionally, a lack of self-love can sabotage our ability to take care of ourselves, which will hamper our ability to truly uplift those we love.
By Dr. Sohail Ebady, M.D. The sun symbolizes the spiritual consciousness. One of the ways of honoring the sun is through the Surya Namaskar. Do your Surya Namaskar gracefully if you strive to achieve a higher target of Surya Namaskar. Although Sun Salutation could be practiced at any time of the day, it is a [...]
As more and more beginners are delving into yoga, it may be time to adjust the routine. Many teachers begin the class with a vigorous sun salutation/downward dog routine. A new idea could be to start the class with gentle beginner stretches to give yourself the opportunity and the extra time to evaluate your class. Go slow and look for the following red flags.
As a dedicated Yogi or Yogini, you may even feel anxious about not being able to get into a posture that you have previously been able to practice during Yoga class. Because many of us are accustomed to racing from one task to another during our daily lives, being able to release all of the internal and external "doing" during Shavasana is even more important. A deep sense of peace, calm and replenishment comes from truly releasing all thought and physical striving during Corpse Pose.
Take advantage of social media, friends, and family. Post any classes you will be teaching on your Facebook page and always put the word out to everyone you know. Facebook is where it's at right now for small business. Stake your claim and let everyone in your area know that you are available to teach. You can dial Facebook in to target the local yoga market.
What can yoga instructors do? Get certified, get covered by a liability insurance company, and establish a track record of safe procedures in your classes. Registration is an option, but it's not often required for liability insurance. To be honest, some teachers (who are not certified or registered) have sports liability insurance coverage. However, certification does show that you are formally educated in safely teaching yoga classes. So, that does build your credibility as a teacher who cares about student safety.
Ethics in yoga and teaching yoga are universal. Every yoga teacher knows the fundamentals of an ethical practice. Common sense doesn't require books to be written about how to behave and teachers should have a handle on common sense. Most yoga certification programs provide an ethics agreement for teachers.
A holistic and balanced practice of Yoga includes the traditional physical postures, in addition to breathing exercises, meditation techniques and a detailed system of ethical recommendations and injunctions. Study of sacred scriptural texts and the recitation of sacred mantras are also key components of a balanced practice of the ancient art of Yoga.
In both cases of IBS and IBD, the mind and body are connected, but, which symptom started first? Did the mind affect the body or did the body affect the mind? Either way, we know they are intertwined and we have to heal the ‘whole’ person in order to improve the condition any ailment. Despite all of the information out there, it is still difficult to find a known cure for IBS or IBD that helps to heal the ‘whole’ individual. Medications and surgery are often prescribed to physically help with the symptoms, but, there is a lack of knowledge out there to help people naturally heal through Yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, pranayama and eating whole foods.
The health benefits associated with yoga can help in both the psychological and physical realms of health. Many health professionals are now considering yoga as a viable treatment for stress and other debilitating ailments that could benefit from physical therapy. Science has just recently begun to unravel the enigma as to how yoga can come to cause many of these beneficial effects.