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By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 What should teacher know beyond how to run a class? At the very least, a Yoga teacher should have knowledge of the latest trends in classes, and the latest continuing education options for teachers. If something does appeal to you, there are many different continuing education options available for experienced teachers. There are a number of workshops, seminars, and camps around the world for interns and established teachers.

By Azahar Aguilar Life breath, life energy, life force. Pranayama is the vital energy behind a yoga asana practice, and instructors have the opportunity in every class to make time for the basics, if not more advanced techniques as well. Wonderful moments exist at the beginning, middle or end of a practice, no matter the style of class, which offer space for the instructor to speak on the importance of pranayama, and the tools that guide prana energy.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed A very effective way of improving Yoga student safety during a class is by modifying the postures and using appropriate props when needed. By modifying Yoga postures and using props when necessary, you will help your students to move in and out of poses that are challenging, in a safe and effective manner. Using well-placed props and modifying postures will also allow you to teach challenging multi-level Yoga classes in a safe manner.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500 Like any other workplace, it is important for yoga teachers to stay up-to-date on harassment prevention, whether it is physical, sexual, verbal, or another form of harassment. With recent headlines seeming to indicate that harassment in the studio is on the rise, it's especially imperative that instructors take steps to protect themselves and their students. One of the best ways to prevent harassment issues in the studio is to regularly engage in continuing education courses involving harassment recognition and prevention. Learning about the different types of harassment is key to preventing messy harassment scenarios in your own classes. Taking classes and educating yourself will ensure that all your students feel at ease in the studio, whether they are completely new to the practice or have been visiting your studio for years.

By Kimaya Singh Traditionally, yoga was practiced on a one-on-one basis. Students and teachers worked closely together and developed long-term relationships that were conducive to keeping people safe and healthy. Now that yoga has skyrocketed in popularity and become more mainstream, these one-on-one sessions have given way to classes in which a single teacher is in charge of a large group of students. In some cases, students are crammed together in small rooms, which increases the risk of injury even more. Classes are the most logical way to teach yoga to large groups, but what can yoga studios do to keep injuries to a minimum?

By Jenny Park Ever since you decided to become a yoga instructor, you've dreamed of teaching a full class of athletic students. Now that you have them, you're concerned about safety and you want your students to have the best possible experience in your classes. Below are five tips that you may want to pass on to your students.

By Jenny Park The term "hot yoga" may refer to a wide variety of yogic styles. Classes might include a series of static postures or a flowing vinyasa sequence with continuous movement. What "hot yoga" classes have in common is that they are typically practiced in a room heated anywhere from 90 to 110 degrees.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed If you are a Yoga instructor who is teaching one or more students who are recovering from surgery or living with a chronic illness, modifying the practice in order to tailor the intensity level to each student's current ability is critically important. The awareness and application of therapeutic Yoga asanas, breathing exercises and contemplative practices can be profoundly healing to students who are working toward regaining their health. Your inner attitude or "bhav" towards your students' efforts in Yoga class can also substantially impact the healing effect of the class on your students.

By Gopi Rao How can we protect the knees of our students during class time? Knees are one of the most vulnerable parts of the human anatomy. No matter what type of fitness regimen you choose, the knees will often take a beating. Very few sports spare the vulnerable knee, and it is common to see all kinds of athletes, including runners, tennis players, and dancers wearing knee stabilizers.

By Kimaya Singh There are many variables in the type of Yoga training each of us might choose to practice and there are many ways to injure one's knee. Let's look at the safest way for a person to enter a class, without slowing down the recovery process or causing self-injury. Therefore, medical clearance in the form of your doctor's approval is imperative before considering asana (posture) practice. A conference explaining your surgery, with a certified Yoga instructor before you take a class, insures that you will get proper attention.

If you practice yoga to keep fit, you'll know that it is important to feel comfortable. If you don't, it can impact on your enjoyment and may eventually cause you to skip classes or give up altogether. In addition, when you are uncomfortable it interferes with your concentration, and this is essential to get the best out of yoga and many other kinds of exercise.

If you practice yoga to keep fit, you'll know that it is important to feel comfortable. If you don't, it can impact on your enjoyment and may eventually cause you to skip classes or give up altogether. In addition, when you are uncomfortable it interferes with your concentration, and this is essential to get the best out of yoga and many other kinds of exercise.

"There are many different kinds of safety factors that should be adhered to when you are exercising. For instance, it is essential to warm up beforehand and warm down afterwards to prevent muscle and tendon strain and injury. It is also wise to start your exercise regime at the low end of the scale and build up gradually over some weeks, so you don't strain muscles that are weak. However, there are less obvious considerations that are often forgotten when you go off to your exercise class."

"There are many different kinds of safety factors that should be adhered to when you are exercising. For instance, it is essential to warm up beforehand and warm down afterwards to prevent muscle and tendon strain and injury. It is also wise to start your exercise regime at the low end of the scale and build up gradually over some weeks, so you don't strain muscles that are weak. However, there are less obvious considerations that are often forgotten when you go off to your exercise class."

By Azahar Aguilar Responsibility rests on yoga instructors to look out for the student's safety before, during and after class. A safe teaching track record leaves you and your students confident and better able to focus on the practice. Established studio tracking methods as well as constant communication between teachers and students will create this type of caring environment.

By Azahar Aguilar Responsibility rests on yoga instructors to look out for the student's safety before, during and after class. A safe teaching track record leaves you and your students confident and better able to focus on the practice. Established studio tracking methods as well as constant communication between teachers and students will create this type of caring environment.

By Kathryn Boland There I was, in my typical Tuesday night yoga class. We were warmed up and moving into some vigorous Warrior flows. Having been on my feet all day long, my quads whimpered for mercy as I bent deeper into Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose). Ok, true, maybe my alignment got a little sloppy as I backed off my deep bend slightly. The instructor, whom I looked up to highly (both as a student and a new, quite green instructor myself), came over and gave me a physical cue to deepen me in the posture. "They're watching you!" she whispered in my ear.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500 Offering hands-on assists in a yoga class can be an incredible gift. Through the power of touch, you can connect with students and help them connect with themselves. While it is important to focus on the positive aspects of providing touch, understanding where an assist can go wrong is also critical.

By Kathryn Boland There I was, in my typical Tuesday night yoga class. We were warmed up and moving into some vigorous Warrior flows. Having been on my feet all day long, my quads whimpered for mercy as I bent deeper into Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose). Ok, true, maybe my alignment got a little sloppy as I backed off my deep bend slightly. The instructor, whom I looked up to highly (both as a student and a new, quite green instructor myself), came over and gave me a physical cue to deepen me in the posture. "They're watching you!" she whispered in my ear.

By Faye Martins When we teach yoga classes, what are our students taking home with them? Do some students see it only as an exercise? Yoga has exploded into a popular fitness trend, around the world, for the past two decades. Well known for its relaxation and breathing techniques, yoga as a way of life has spread like fire through studios across the world and into gyms, fitness clubs, senior centers and even public schools. There are many different styles and techniques, with each style focusing on a specific emphasis that tends to characterize it. Ashtanga vinyasa yoga, for example, is a practice that highlights the physical challenges of yoga whereas Iyengar is a slower version of Hatha that allows practitioners to concentrate on pose mastery and yogic philosophy.

By Faye Martins The reasons why yoga props will always have a place in every studio and class, no matter what the skill level or flexibility of the practitioners, is because they elevate the integrity of many poses and allow those who would not otherwise be able to get into said poses, due to flexibility limitations, to access them properly.

By Kimaya Singh We all know the potential for yoga as a practice in the life of adults. We have experienced such positive changes in our own lives, through incorporating yoga into our daily or weekly routines. The same benefits can regularly be seen in our classes, and it is one of the more fulfilling aspects of teaching the discipline. When it comes to children, could yoga hold the key to improving their physical and emotional health?