The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is regarded as one of the three classic texts on Hatha Yoga, along with the Gheranda Samhita and the Shiva Samhita. This 15th century text was written by Swami Svatmarama, and is said to be the oldest surviving text about Hatha Yoga. This text has been translated into many languages, including English.
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.
While Hatha Yoga addresses much more than our physical health, let’s take a look at the primary physical benefits of our practice. Yoga...
Depending on the Yoga school, posturing, alignment and adjustment can be an extremely important part of one's training. A typical 200-hour Yoga teacher training course may spend over 100 hours focusing on the alignment of asanas.
Although meditation is very important, most people would be better off to work on fundamental relaxation techniques first. As children, we learn to walk before running. Paulji often says, “It is much easier to meditate by relaxing first.” Relaxation is an area of Yoga, which deals with techniques of deep tranquilization, to reduce stress, strengthen the immune system, and to feel inwardly calm and balanced. Yoga includes much more than just a series of body and breathing exercises. Yogic relaxation should become a habit and can be best described as a lifestyle or a state of mind.
A warm up incorporated in the yoga class is very valuable that the postures are easily attained. The joints are loosened and the muscles warmed by stretching and by increasing the circulation of blood warm ups also reduce the risk of pulling muscles or injuring a joint during the class warm ups also reduce the risk of stiffness in the muscles and joints after a yoga session.
What is your perception of teaching Yoga sessions for sports teams and athletes? Below is a question and answer session concerning teaching Hatha Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga to a football team as a form of cross training and for rehab.
At the moment, one of my Yoga students has a pre-existing injury to his knee joint caused by football in February this year, and there still is fluid on it to this day. I am not exactly sure what to do with the knee. Yet based on my understanding, hamstring stretches and quads stretches will be useful for him, as well as advising him to elevate his knee higher than the heart, as much as possible.
When should Yoga teachers consider specialist training? The answer lies within the needs of students with whom you work. Whether it is a specialized group, or an individual student, each Yoga instructor has his or her limits when considering helping students with special needs. Below is a case, where networking and continuing education are the keys to the therapeutic application of Yoga.
When you decided to become a Yoga teacher, you may have realized: We are all students for life. Learning and discovering make life interesting. Intensives, specialized Yoga teacher training courses, workshops, and online learning will help you become the best you can be.