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By Kimaya Singh Have you experienced neck and back pain after a long day of sitting at home or at work? In the modern era, as we have increased the amount of time we spend sitting at our computers at work or our televisions at home, we have inadvertently placed increasing amounts of strain upon the skeletal components in our necks and backs.

By Kimaya Singh Have you experienced neck and back pain after a long day of sitting at home or at work? In the modern era, as we have increased the amount of time we spend sitting at our computers at work or our televisions at home, we have inadvertently placed increasing amounts of strain upon the skeletal components in our necks and backs.

By practicing yoga on a regular basis, moms give back to themselves in a way that no one else can. It can also be a social outlet, where...

Despite my best efforts to do just that, some of the children have difficulty maintaining focus and following the postures and movements I have been guiding them in. The atmosphere has therefore sometimes devolves into overall chaos, me losing control of the group. At those times, the teachers have sometimes not intervened. At other times, they strongly and clearly have. For instance, one teacher has taken children out of the group, for what I sometimes perceived as minor infractions. Other teachers have yelled at the children, with clear anger in their voices, to stop "fooling around" and listen to me. I haven't felt comfortable attempting to override those disciplinary actions; though they have been directly against my philosophies and instruction practices, and the groups are mine to lead, they are still the teachers' classrooms. To me, it hasn't been worth it to create more negative energy through further objections.

As a Yoga teacher, I encourage students to practice yoga at home all the time. Most students admit they don't feel as motivated at home...

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 How can Yoga and meditation help people with chronic insomnia? Results of studies, released by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, in 2009, show that meditation "may be an effective behavioral intervention in the treatment of insomnia." The research looked at 11 healthy participants, between the ages of 25 and 45, who suffered from chronic insomnia. Findings show, that the subjects who practiced Yoga during the day, had fewer sleep problems at night.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Many teenagers, today, struggle with a degree of anxiety and depression unknown to previous generations at the same young age. There is a great deal of pressure on teenagers from their parents, teachers, and work obligations. In addition, there is a substantial amount of peer pressure surrounding many teens - both at school and during extra-curricular activities. Some of these causative factors of anxiety and depression have not changed much from generation to generation.

By Virginia Iversen The practice of Yoga offers us many tools to help manage our internal and physical states of being. One of the most challenging and sometimes debilitating internal states is that of unremitting anxiety. Anxiety can be defined as the fear of being hurt in the future, in one form or another. This internal alarm system can save our lives. For example, if you are alone in a train station late at night, and you begin to experience tendrils of anxiety because you feel like you are being watched, this heightened state of alertness may enable you to save your own life. However, if you are constantly feeling anxious at one level or another, your mental and physical health may be compromised. Anxious thoughts and feelings release adrenalin and cortisol to help you navigate out of a dangerous situation. If these hormonal levels are too high for an extended period of time, the functioning of your immune system will be lowered, your cardiac health may suffer and your serotonin level may decrease, leading to depression and even more anxiety.

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 Faye Martins In today's charged up, plugged in, needed-it-yesterday world, it's no wonder insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders, affecting, at least, half of all adults at some point in their lives. We need sleep for our bodies to repair themselves, and for our minds to sort out the details of the day in preparation for the next.

By Sarah Fisher After graduating from Yoga teacher training, I look back at where I was when I went to my first class. I was so stressed that it was difficult to get up for work. I was starting to make excuses to avoid leaving my home. Jobs are stressful, but these days, you want to keep the one you have. At the same time, I needed to get some physical activity. Luckily, my friends got me out of the house and into a fitness-based Yoga class.

By Sangeetha Saran Yoga students vary in shapes, sizes, and ages. Each age group presents its own set of limitations and strengths. Teaching Yoga students over the age of 50 is going to be a little different than teaching teenagers. As we age our bodies' change, joints can stiffen, muscles can grow weaker and bones can become more brittle. However, that doesn't mean that all physical activity should stop. It just means that certain modifications may have to be made. The use of props to aid in certain poses may be needed at times.

You dont have to be a contortionist to practice yoga or trade your scrub pants for spandex pants. You dont even have to be in the yoga studio or local gym. With the simple poses listed below, men and women of all ages and abilities can alleviate stress at work and keep energy levels high. You can do them virtually anywhere and arrive home at the end of the day feeling rested and balanced.

The online yoga study programs at Aura include a network of yoga professionals that you can consult with at any time. They also have a...

By Faye Martins When looking at intensive courses for continuing education, most workshops and advanced yoga certification courses will generally be organized to address a number of common ailments. For example: A yoga for back pain course is not entirely about sciatica, but the will be addressed during the course. Let's look at some issues concerning the sciatic nerve, which will help us get the most out of a specialized yoga teacher training for back problems.

By Faye Martins Each of us has a unique perspective of life. Unfortunately, many people don't experience health benefits from their daily activities. Time is extremely valuable these days. Holding onto a job requires the lion's share of your time and you come home exhausted by your commute, work, kids, chores, and possibly, you go to college at night. How can you make a positive change? Believe it, or not, you can experience reduced pain and a better quality life by practicing yoga for 30 minutes, at least, three days per week. If you practice daily or for 45, 60 or 90 minute sessions, you will experience more health benefits.

By Faye Martins Yoga teacher training courses enhance an interns ability to connect with children on many levels. Teaching yoga to children is very rewarding, but there will be challenges in your classes. Perhaps if adults had the energy, optimism and honesty of children, the world would be a different place. Looking at the world through the eyes of a child means taking things one moment at a time, stopping to appreciate seemingly insignificant moments and attractions, and releasing your emotions as you feel them. Essentially, children are living some of the most fundamental of yogic principles: mindfulness, gratitude and inner peace. It makes sense, then, to teach children yoga postures and breathing while they are young and eager to accept healthy, lifelong concepts.

By Faye Martins Yoga teachers learn to create lesson plans as prescriptions for ailments. Among the common ailments, which nag at humans, are headaches. Almost every person on this planet has experienced a mild or severe headache at one time or another. Over the counter pain killers are a huge industry and their main use is for headaches. Although this subject is not usually mentioned in a foundational 200-hour yoga teacher training, it should be. The concept of a pain free day by practicing natural yogic techniques should be taught to the public.

By Kimaya Singh Virtually everyone has had a headache at one point or another during the course of their lives, and it's an undeniable fact that they make basic activities, decision-making, and even normally enjoyable hobbies difficult or nearly impossible depending on the severity of the pain. Modern pain killers are usually quite effective at masking this discomfort, but extended use of these drugs leads to some unpleasant side effects, including headaches themselves.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Helping teenagers cope is a positive side effect of Yoga practice. Many teenagers, today, struggle with a degree of anxiety and depression unknown to previous generations at the same young age. There is a great deal of pressure on teenagers from their parents, teachers, and work obligations. In addition, there is a substantial amount of peer pressure surrounding many teens - both at school and during extra-curricular activities. Some of these causative factors of anxiety and depression have not changed much from generation to generation. However, the contemporary context of a fast-paced, insular and impersonal world, with a distinct lack of family and community structure, in addition to an unclear set of expectations and ethics, can increase the physical and psychological isolation and vulnerability of teens.