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Hatha yoga combines physical exercise and mental discipline, with the goal of integrating and invigorating both body and mind. It consists primarily of poses, known as asanas, designed to increase strength and flexibility, and controlled breathing, known as pranayamic breathing.

By Gopi Rao Assisting asanas is an art form that requires communication and observation skills. Teaching a Yoga class is a unique experience, and every class is different. The range of students, along with their comfort and ability levels will obviously vary. As Yoga teachers, we learn to make Yogic methodology an accessible activity for people, no matter what his or her fitness levels are. Offering alternatives to certain poses along with assisting with asanas are integral parts of being a mindful teacher. After all, one of the many reasons people enjoy the practice of Yoga is that it offers something for everyone, regardless of age, fitness level, or experience.

"Who am I? What is Samsara? What is Brahman? What is bondage? What is freedom? What is Maya? What is Avidya?" Do Vichara.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Vinyasa is a popular form of Yoga that, in the West, is characterized by movement - both while in an asana and when moving between two asanas. The breath initiates all movement in a Vinyasa Yoga class, resulting in a beautiful slow flow. Here are seven things that teachers of Vinyasa Yoga must know:

By Faye Martins The meditation component of a Yoga certification course is often taken for granted. If you ask most Yoga teacher interns what they consider the most valuable component of Yoga training to be, they will often answer: "asana." Restless interns often tend to crave vinyasa flows, while the trainer explains the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of Yogic meditation. As many as 40 percent of all Americans suffer from sleep deprivation, and up to 80 percent of all doctors' visits have stress-related components. Yogic sleep, also known as Yoga Nidra, is a powerful form of deep relaxation that provides the restorative qualities of natural sleep within a brief period of time. Although most effectively practiced with asanas and breathing techniques, it can also be beneficial on its own.

Brahmacharya is the vow of celibacy in thought, word and deed, by which one attains Self-realisation or reaches Brahman. It means control of not only the reproductive Indriya but also control of all senses in thought, word and deed.

Yoga is a tool for gaining body-mind awareness to enhance whatever spiritual/religious beliefs you have.

Find a day and pay attention to what your yoga teacher is saying during class. You might have realized that some scientific names are mentioned. Alot of people just let it pass them by as long they manage to get the pose the teacher is asking for. By taking mental note of one or two, you can learn further by asking your teacher about what they have just mentioned in class. It is a subtle opportunity for you to be lead into the further knowledge and understanding of the asana you've just did in class.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. What is the link between discipline and teaching Yoga? As a professional Yoga teacher, you have a great deal of opportunity to truly influence your students in the way that they move both on and off the mat. Of course, while you are leading a class, your students will practice the asanas according to your guidance. However, what is often overlooked is the impact that you can have on your students, both verbally and nonverbally, through the way that you approach challenges in your classes. Just as a child takes cues from his or her parents about the appropriate steps needed to address problematic situations in their lives, your students will also take cues from you about how to approach obstacles and challenges both on and off the mat, as their practice unfolds and deepens.

Having a yoga instructor can really help to boost your yoga practice. They will demonstrate the asanas (postures) so you can really see what you need to be doing and they will help you by watching what you do and making small corrections to keep your body aligned and safe. However Yoga is a wonderful tool for stress management that you can learn on your own with the help of a DVD or book.

By Jenny Park What can you do to boost your metabolism? Is there an optimum time of year for you to boost your metabolism? Many people set weight loss goals for themselves at the beginning of the New Year. This is one reason why so many new faces show up to Yoga classes every January. A regular practice of Yoga asanas combined with a healthy diet, restorative sleep, and a program of stress reduction, will all help anyone reach his or her weight loss goals. A healthy diet consists of a balance of lean protein, whole grains and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The more colorful your selection of fruits and vegetables is, the more variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants your diet will contain. Dietary lean protein may come from a diversity sources. If you are not a strict vegetarian, wild caught fish, such as salmon and mackerel, have a high level of Omega 3 fatty acids that help to protect the health of your heart and brain. Omega 3 fatty acids are also found in flax seeds, flax seed oil, hemp products and eggs. A sufficient amount of Omega 3 fatty acids helps the body function well and the metabolism to work at optimal levels.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. Why is compassion such an important aspect of teaching? During the course of your Yoga teaching training program, you are probably immersed in a great deal of information about correct alignment principals during the practice of the postures, the intricacies of human anatomy and learning the classical Sanskrit names of the asanas. What you may not be so closely connected to is the profound importance of compassion and teaching the finer aspects of how to incorporate the teachings of Yoga into your students' daily lives "off the mat."

By Lisa Bradford As we age, our bodies go through numerous changes. Senior citizens often face health challenges such as arthritis, which affects the joints and decreases flexibility. Also, bone density decreases and energy levels may not be what they used to be. All of that can affect fitness levels and limit the types of exercises in which they can take part in. High impact activities, such as jogging, might be replaced with walking or swimming. Another great activity for seniors is Yoga training. The gentle postures (asanas) and slow, centered movements of Hatha Yoga are the perfect way to loosen tight joints and relieve pain. Low impact exercise (and the right type of exercises) is crucial for staying healthy - not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well.

By Kathryn Boland Yoga Rx: What does it mean and where is it going? Have you noticed that yoga is coming more into our Western culture's medical "mainstream"? Do you wonder where you might factor in, as a yoga instructor, in this trend? My father practiced for several decades as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hands and shoulders. While in my 200 hour CYT training, I forwarded him an article about keeping the wrists safe in weight-bearing yoga postures. The article also explained how the same postures, in an overall balanced asana practice, can help to alleviate many hand and arm medical complications.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 What is the importance of warm ups in Yoga Classes? Yoga asana practice, like all other physical activities, requires the practitioner to challenge and stretch the muscles, while creating safe space in the joints. Since an integral part of most physical Yogic practices includes meditation and breathing exercises, many practitioners feel that Yogic exercise provides a "gentle workout" and skip the vital warm up session to tackle more challenging postures as soon as possible. This can be very dangerous, since warming up the body before attempting these more challenging postures can prevent injury.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500 What are ski postures? After a challenging day on the slopes, it is important to stretch out your muscles and ligaments. Yoga poses that help to elongate and release tension in the muscles and ligaments are critical to preventing injury and stiffness after an exhilarating day of skiing. Your level of skiing ability does not impact the necessity of keeping your muscles, joints and ligaments flexible and pliable. Our bodies work hard to provide us with a perfect run down a favorite bump run or a fast time through the gates on a GS race course. Practicing Yoga asanas that stretch out the hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back and shoulders will help to keep you feeling loose and flexible.

Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250 Yoga therapy has made its way into mainstream medicine as part of health treatment programs. Many health care professionals recognize the therapeutic value of practicing Yoga in conjunction with traditional medical treatments. The postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama) can help manage symptoms of disease and mental health disorders.

Power yoga does not follow an order for asana practice, so each power yoga session can be quite different depending on the practitioner...

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500 What are ski postures? After a challenging day on the slopes, it is important to stretch out your muscles and ligaments. Yoga poses that help to elongate and release tension in the muscles and ligaments are critical to preventing injury and stiffness after an exhilarating day of skiing. Your level of skiing ability does not impact the necessity of keeping your muscles, joints and ligaments flexible and pliable. Our bodies work hard to provide us with a perfect run down a favorite bump run or a fast time through the gates on a GS race course. Practicing Yoga asanas that stretch out the hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back and shoulders will help to keep you feeling loose and flexible.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, YACEP What should Yoga instructors know about giving an assist before a potential legal problem arises? Are there some general guidelines for assisting? Have you ever had an assist that did not really help much? Have you ever had a physical assist that hurt you physically or in any way? Do physical assists during asana practice make you feel uncomfortable? Is it really necessary for teachers to give a physical assist?