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.
It is up to Yoga teachers and practitioners to look deep into the Yoga Sutra, Vedas, and writings of the past. In this way, we can pass...
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.
Pranayama is an essential part of Yoga teacher training, as well as regular classes for students. Pranayama is a science within the larger science of Yoga. Although Yoga and pranayama have existed for thousands of years; their existence in the Western consciousness is a few hundred years old, at best.
According to Yogic philosophy, as described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, “bitter, sour, hot, green vegetables….Food heated again, dry, having too much salt, sour, minor grains, and vegetables that cause burning sensation, should not be eaten.”
However, the philosophy component is not what most Yoga teacher interns want to learn. Most people, in general, feel that Asana (Yoga...