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Physical Activity is Important to Good Health.

There is so much that is good about establishing a routine Hatha Yoga practice. Yoga posture safety must be considered at all time. Any form of Yoga...

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed If you are teaching a number of Yoga classes on a regular basis to a diversity of students, you probably notice that many of your students are just as stressed about "getting a good workout in" and practicing as many challenging postures as possible during class, just as they are about accomplishing as much as possible "off the mat" in their daily lives! This level of frenetic activity can undermine the more grounding and replenishing aspects of a well-rounded Yoga class.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 How can Yoga be a cure for everything? Can Yoga really help prevent depression? Let's take a look at some solutions for depression and see how Yoga can be useful. While it is arguable that depression is not always preventable, there are many cases, when using the following ideas, will keep you in good spirits - most of the time. Unfortunately, we cannot be happy all of the time, but there is something we can do about it.

By Kathryn Boland Language in yoga instruction is extremely important. Being invited to something - to a party, to a meaningful life passage event, even to do something that just plain feels good - carries its own special joy. It's even difficult; at least for me personally, to put into just the right words that special feeling of allowance and/or inclusion. Invitation can also be part of when one seeks to direct another in more formalized, structured activity (that which we might not commonly associate with such simple joy). As yoga instructors, we can both direct and ease our students through using "invitatory" language. Furthermore, it opens up opportunities for students to make their practices truly their own - versus our ideas of what we think those practices should be.

By Sanjeev Patel If you already have a yoga teacher certification, you probably think you know what new students are looking for in your classes. Most instructors have been teaching so long that they forget what it felt like to be a beginner. A new student has his or her senses wide open when visiting your studio. The finger prints on your mirror, the smell of your studio, and your appearance, are all new to first time students. How can you know what students really want, when each one has different expectations? First of all, you can't make everyone happy, but you can make most of them happy by making the best possible impression and looking at your class with a fresh pair 0f eyes, like you once had, long before you decided to become a yoga instructor.

By Bhavan Kumar Like many other conditions we learn about in Yoga teacher training, pain in the tailbone can be both helped and aggravated by exercise. Although some asanas present problems, others alleviate pain and relieve inflammation. The key to success is knowing your own body and finding a good yoga instructor. Pain in the coccyx, or tailbone, is a common condition that affects five times as many women as men. Although the disorder stems from a variety of causes ranging from falls to pregnancy, an unstable coccyx is frequently the culprit. Discomfort varies from mild to acute and is usually aggravated by sitting.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Yogic exercise is a very popular activity in many communities, as people increasingly come to recognize the myriad benefits it has to offer our bodies, minds, and lives. Yoga teacher training programs that specialize in training instructors for teaching children are also becoming quite prevalent, but what sort of classes should kids participate in?

By Faye Martins Sometimes, you read that yoga helps everything. Is all of this "good yoga talk" a bunch of hype to market classes? Here's the truth: Yogic breathing techniques and some postures (asanas) that open the chest are a big help to someone who can't breathe. About hype: Maybe somebody promises cures, but I can't give promises because even a medical prescription doesn't work for everybody.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. Spring is a quintessential time to detoxify. This means detoxifying the extra items in your car, your closet and, of course, your body! Engaging in a systematic process of detoxification on a seasonal basis will help you to release toxic chemicals, emotions, and experiences from your body and mind. You may even find that you are confronted with a toxic work environment or a relationship that no longer serves your highest good. If this is the case, you may also wish to find a compassionate way to move on from those situations and/or relationships.

By Kathryn Boland Language in yoga instruction is extremely important. Being invited to something - to a party, to a meaningful life passage event, even to do something that just plain feels good - carries its own special joy. It's even difficult; at least for me personally, to put into just the right words that special feeling of allowance and/or inclusion. Invitation can also be part of when one seeks to direct another in more formalized, structured activity (that which we might not commonly associate with such simple joy). As yoga instructors, we can both direct and ease our students through using "invitatory" language.

By Faye Martins What is all the fuss about slow flow yoga? If you want to get in shape by trying a low-impact exercise, then slow-flow vinyasa yoga is the pace for you. Stretch your way to good health with slow movement that gradually warms up muscles, joints and connective tissue. Vinyasa is popular because people want a movement-based form of Yoga, but most vinyasa classes are fast-paced and risky movements may not be in your best interest.

By Michael Gleason Life is getting faster and faster - both physically and virtually. And while getting a lot accomplished in the course of a work day is good, as is completing many overdue chores on the weekend that does not mean we as human beings experience anxiety and burnout. Thankfully there is yoga for anxiety.[1] Sally Susinno, RYT-200 of Wellesley, Massachusetts, pointed out that more and more people are waking up and drinking larger and larger flagons of sweetened coffee drinks and diet colas which make their bodies more and more wound up. Caffeine is also a diuretic which can lead to dehydration, or just not enough water consumption over the course of the day. At the end of the day, the sweeteners and the stimulants have people reaching for sleeping pills - both over the counter and prescription strength.

By Faye Martins Should yoga teachers physically assist their students to help them get into the correct poses, or should teachers rely solely upon verbal instructions? The question is a good one, and sometimes a controversial one, since not all students feel comfortable with being touched by the yoga instructor. Other students, meanwhile, feel that they cannot get the most out of a yoga class without being touched. Take a look at these four tips for using physical assists during a yoga class.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Managers of fitness centers, wellness boutiques, and studios may, or may not, also be yoga teachers. Some managers are strictly business oriented and only focus on staying in business. Let's be honest - some teachers cannot manage a business. The nature of business is not for everyone. Managing a group of instructors gives one a unique position. You have to make sure the classes run smoothly, your numbers are good, and everybody is happy.

By Kathryn Boland Language in yoga instruction is extremely important. Being invited to something - to a party, to a meaningful life passage event, even to do something that just plain feels good - carries its own special joy. It's even difficult; at least for me personally, to put into just the right words that special feeling of allowance and/or inclusion. Invitation can also be part of when one seeks to direct another in more formalized, structured activity (that which we might not commonly associate with such simple joy). As yoga instructors, we can both direct and ease our students through using "invitatory" language. Furthermore, it opens up opportunities for students to make their practices truly their own - versus our ideas of what we think those practices should be.

By Jenny Park Have you ever met someone who doubted that yoga is beneficial for health? You might be asked, "where's the proof" when you mention the good that yoga can do for practitioners. As yoga teachers, the following information should be made available to our students who have diabetes.

By Kimaya Singh Yoga is a high sought after class among many, and a good yoga instructor is hard to come by. There are many characteristics that go into what classifies an excellent yoga instructor. While some teachers are freelance and can go to almost any location, the secret to building relationships is providing a safe environment that they can return to each week, such as a studio. Even if you are teaching yoga at a local community center, you can still make sure that your class is the most popular location for yoga in your neighborhood.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed Deeply restorative and refreshing sleep can be quite elusive for many Yoga practitioners. With the frenetic pace of many Yoga teachers and students' lives, winding down for a good night's sleep is frequently challenging, if not impossible. As we all rush to squeeze in one appointment after another during our already fully scheduled days, the fight or flight response is often locked on overdrive and anxiety and stress levels can stay high well into the night. When this happens, the body and mind are physiologically unable to unwind and ease into a peaceful state of being, rather than constantly doing.

By Kimaya Singh Many people choose yoga because it offers a gentle, relaxing way to maintain good health without the high intensity or jarring nature of other workouts. Practicing yoga can ensure strong, lean muscles, proper posture and alignment, and better circulation. Although traditional yoga gets newly oxygenated blood pumping into the heart, it doesn't typically raise the heart rate to levels that will make it stronger. Power yoga, however, provides the best of both worlds: You get the benefits of all the traditional yoga postures while also getting a higher intensity workout.