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By Faye Martins Back in 2011, The New York Times profiled Tara Stiles, a former model turned yoga instructor. She's a "love-her-or-hate-her" yoga teacher based in New York City. Yoga traditionalists, quoted for The New York Times, say she ought to be ashamed of herself for her "yoga for the masses" approach. For these traditionalists, Stiles has shamelessly turned modern yoga into "just another gym class."

By Jenny Park As much as the world is growing technologically, alternative medicine is equally improving. Initially yoga was created to be more of a spiritual practice, but many studies have shown that the physical techniques help in healing the body and mind. Additionally, Yoga asanas are significant in promoting spinal health and improving skeletal alignment. In order to achieve maximum results, students must look for a well-trained instructor to take them through a typical class. Therapeutic techniques have made this practice very useful in the daily lives for millions of people around the world.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed Downhill skiing can definitely be a challenging aerobic workout! The same is true for snowboarding, cross-country skiing and ice-skating. During the winter and early spring months, you may find that a number of your Yoga students are avidly participating in these sports. In order to help support your students enjoy and excel at these favorite winter activities, you may want to tailor your Yoga classes in such a way that the pace and poses that you choose are not only are physically strengthening, but also improve their cardiovascular fitness.

By Eleanor Bartel At its core, yoga is a healing practice that works on a variety of levels. It affects the physical body, the mind, and it also has a spiritual and emotional effect on people. The emotional aspect of yoga can often come out unexpectedly in a class, especially in certain poses that encourage emotional release, like camel pose and child's pose. As a yoga teacher, it is important to recognize these emotions in students and help them through it. Sometimes, this involves recommending outside emotional counseling for more serious personal issues.

By Faye Martins Every year, more people grow out of touch with their bodies. The computer culture is facing an obesity crisis that will have dire health consequences for millions of people. Fad diets and exercise routines come and go every month, but can't fix the problem. Fitness yoga can.

By Sangeetha Saran All of us go through times when we feel overwhelmed by the trauma, stress, or loss in our lives. What makes one person persevere and overcome obstacles while another gives up at the first hint of failure? Many Yoga classes are filled with students who are developing the inner strength to deal with stress. Chances are that it is not the stressful circumstances, but the way we react to them and the solutions we discover that determine the outcome. While each of us is born with certain personality traits, we can learn from Yoga and meditation to be more resilient by embracing new opportunities, being open to challenges, and learning from our mistakes.

By Gopi Rao Pranayama refers to the deep and deliberate breathing associated with yoga. More specifically, pranayama is a Sanskrit word meaning "control of the life force." Pranayama is often referred to as breath control, or yogic breathing. Pranayama techniquess are beneficial in keeping the body healthy and free of toxins.

By Narendra Maheshri Why should we be concerned with safety tips? Yoga is good for the body. There are many aspects of practice, but posture (asana) is most commonly learned first in modern classes. Additionally, asana practice is also good for one's emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being. You can take yoga with you anywhere you go and roll it out like a yoga mat. It will contribute to giving you abundant energy and healthy sleep cycles.

By Faye Martins Adult students of all ages participate in yoga training sessions for pain relief, but students often ask why it works. As a teacher, you should have learned this during your foundational 200-hour yoga certification course, but most students know very little about spinal or skeletal health, unless they have experienced chronic joint pain. Let's go over the basics, just in case you want to have a short workshop for your students to give them a deeper understanding of how and why they are feeling better after a class at your yoga school.

By Faye Martins After receiving your certification, you might be busy. Many interns have teaching positions before they complete their yoga teacher training courses. This means, we should be prepared to field questions when they arise. Do you have a prepared "elevator speech" for people who express an interest in your classes? If you don't have anything prepared, today is your lucky day, because below this paragraph is a prepared handout for prospective students. This is a gift for you.

By Jenny Park Many prospective students are pregnant. Some of them read about the benefits of prenatal yoga or they hear about it from their friends. However, students who are pregnant and new to yoga training should have their doctor's approval. Additionally, pregnant students should attend classes taught by an instructor who is a graduate of a prenatal yoga teacher training course.

By Bhavan Kumar Many athletes turn to yoga to provide a balance to their usual vigorous and demanding workout routines. Yoga training gives athletes' muscles and ligaments the necessary stretching that they need after intense work. Postures help prevent soreness, strain or injury. Power yoga combines the best of both worlds by giving athletes a more intense, cardio-based workout combined with the stretching and lengthening of muscles. In addition to the physical aspects, physically challenging classes help athletes work on focus and concentration through breathing and meditative practice. Power yoga teachers can pinpoint some key areas of the body to work on to give students a satisfying workout.

By Jenny Park Most yoga teacher training courses don't go into running partner sessions. Many of us learn more about it after yoga certification. If you've never taught partner yoga it is a wonderful way to not only connect and bring people together, but a great way for one who is very much into yoga to share the benefits with a loved one who may be a little timid about starting a routine.

By Faye Martins Vinyasa Yoga takes the idea of flowing breath and synchronicity to a new level. Movement is literally synchronized to each breath, and it is oftentimes called Flow Yoga because of how well it corresponds to every inhale and exhale. This technique, or term, is oftentimes used in all types of Yoga, and teaching it effectively is key to seeing success in your students. Since Vinyasa Yoga can be taught in multiple forms, using it in your classes helps you develop them better and more effectively. Use these tips to start teaching Vinyasa Yoga more effectively.

By Virginia Iversen, M.Ed Although it is snowing today, the spring season is one week away and with the advent of a new season; many Yoga practitioners and teachers will be starting new projects, courses and various training programs. As the pace of life begins to shift from season to season, many of us can easily become overwhelmed with the increased number of items on our to-do list. As anxiety levels begin to escalate with the increased pace of life and number of daily obligations, irritation and even angry feelings may begin to arise.

By Shahid Mishra There was a time, when I was young, that I thought yoga props were for people who were in need of them. As a young Yoga teacher, I was indeed arrogant and my Guru asked me to work at the back of the class assisting, until I learned patience. Frustration filled me, but I remained with my Guru, Paulji for many years. He pointed my eyes toward the type of student who has improved his or her quality of life because props helped with mobility, disease, skeletal alignment, or gave this person self-confidence. I became a believer and now I see yoga props can help anyone.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250 If you have ever seen a master yoga teacher at work, you probably gazed in wonder as he or she created an inviting, calm class atmosphere; put people at ease with a smile, gesture, or comment; or flowed through a series of poses, detailing modifications and potential risks, without a hitch. Although, for some of us teaching yoga comes naturally, there is much to be learned about teaching skills and methods simply by observing others. The best yoga teachers are never satisfied with their own methods, but seek to constantly improve by watching other master yoga teachers in practice. Teachers themselves, then, are nothing more than lifelong students. This is a point that Paulji makes many times.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250 Good yoga teaching encompasses a wide range of skills and knowledge. The best yoga teachers are often "naturals," having an innate ability to reach students in a positive, uplifting manner. However, many important teaching skills and methods can be learned. The most successful teachers are constantly self-evaluating, observing peers, and continually striving to make themselves more effective. Observation in itself is somewhat of an art, with different methods appropriate for various situations. When evaluating other yoga instructors, it is important to focus the observation on a particular skill or method.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. One definition of fear is to be anxious about an unpleasant or painful event that you feel is likely to happen in the future. For instance, if you are pursuing your Yoga teacher certification, you may be afraid that you are going to fail your final anatomy exam because you have not spent an ample amount of time studying. This fear may be completely reasonable and understandable, or this fear may be largely exaggerated if you have spent an adequate amount of time preparing for the anatomy final, but you are prone to anxiety.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed How important is it to teach your students about setting an intention? Teaching Yoga to new students can be both enormously satisfying and intimidating. At first, you may feel overwhelmed at trying to introduce the entire system of the physical postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to a group of new students, in addition to the philosophical underpinnings of this time honored practice! However, simply guiding your students through a balanced Yoga class will help your new students to become familiar with the flow and pacing of the postures and breathing exercises.