By Kathryn Boland Do you notice how 99 percent of the time in yoga asana practices; we seek to make right angles (90 degrees) in one to many locations in the body? Do you find yourself often cueing your students towards this structure? Just like with buildings, square structure adds stability. A main reason for this is basic physics: when something is slanted, gravity can exert greater force on it. In the body, that means greater muscular force must counteract that force - or one falls to the ground.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500 Adults from all walks of life and varying physical abilities are discovering the many benefits of practicing yoga and they're not alone. Children as young as three can do simple yoga exercises; in addition to helping a child improve balance, coordination, and body strength, yoga exercises are something that parents and children can do together. In addition to a calming, pleasant exercise, yoga provides opportunities for parents to provide instruction and build trust and communication bonds with their children. And yoga is not just appropriate for small child/parent groups within the home. Larger groups of children respond well to yoga in both classroom and studio settings.

By Sangeetha Saran Depression symptoms can range from mild to severe. You can take medications for depression, but they can have side effects, and, they do not always work. Studies have shown that yoga can help relieve depression, and keep depression from returning.

By Kathryn Boland Webster's Dictionary defines imagery as "1 a: the product of image makers : IMAGES; also: the art of making images b: pictures produced by an imaging system 2: figurative language 3: mental images; especially: the products of imagination." All of these definitions can meaningfully apply to Yoga practice; with figurative language, we can imaginatively make mental images during our practices. These can help us to deepen our experiences in the ancient system of coming to wellness, increasing the degrees to which it can enhance our lives.

By Faye Martins Whether you teach yoga classes, run or both, this article is designed to help you understand how yogic exercise can be applied as a therapeutic method for those who enjoy running. Runners are hard on their bodies, including the knees, hips and hamstrings. Yoga training provides wonderful relief for runners, allowing them to have optimal performance when their feet hit the pavement. In addition, yoga visualization and breathing techniques can help keep runners focused and motivated.

By Faye Martins I was listening to a conversation this weekend. Two women in their 70s were explaining the benefits of Yoga to their friend. It was interesting to note the objection was: "Why should I bother?" There is a feeling some people have that our life is filled with endless suffering and there's nothing we can do about it.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 When considering a Yoga teacher training program, an intern should consider the value of pre-existing training, knowledge, and experience. The fundamentals of Yoga are treasures to be enjoyed. All too often, we miss the finer points of life, by rushing through it. The following are four qualities that will help each intern throughout the training process.

By Kimaya Singh When we think of fitness training, Yoga training is not the first discipline that comes to mind. To overlook Yoga's benefits, however, as an independent discipline or an addition to an established training program would be a mistake. While Yogic philosophy can be helpful in every phase of life, challenging Yoga postures, meditation, and breathing techniques enhance physical and mental fitness.

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 Faye Martins According to Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, the quickest-growing segment of the American population consists of seniors over the age of 65, and many of these are turning to Yoga to stay mentally and physically fit. Considering the fact that statisticians expect the number of these seniors to double to 80 million by 2050, there is obviously a need for Yoga instructors trained to work with older students.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Until a certain age in life, words like dignity, quality of life, and independence seem to be more suitable for descriptions, or reasons, why independent nations had revolutionary wars, than for senior independence. However, for seniors, these words reflect the need to stay the course of independence.

By Sangeetha Saran One of the most important and significant lessons that a Yoga instructor teaches his or her students is the healing potential of Yogic methods. By healing potential, I mean the ability to transform one's negative situation. That could be a feeling, mood, emotion, thought or physical pain. Yoga has proven itself to be an effective means of exercise, spiritual rehabilitation tool, stress reducer, and a great method of reducing one's negativity. However, in addition to transforming negative emotions or thoughts into positive ones, it also has the ability to help children at many levels.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 During the course of a lifetime, most of us have heard the saying," Do as I say, not as I do." We see this kind of leadership everywhere we go. All politicians, religious leaders, police, sports professionals, parents, academic teachers, and Yoga teachers, lead by example, even if the example displayed is not a good one.

By Kimaya Singh It has long been discussed, in the medical and yogic communities, that yoga can help to reduce the levels of stress in the body, and the good news is that this can potentially lead to a reduction in body weight as well. Lower stress can lead to lower levels of cortisol, a hormone found in the body that is secreted from the adrenal glands. When our bodies are stressed, extra cortisol is released into the blood stream, and for a short period of time, this can be beneficial to the body. It can provide increased energy, increased immunity, as well as lower the body's sensitivity to pain. However, over time, if the body is experiencing chronic stress, too much cortisol is produced, and the balance of the body can be jeopardized.

By Jenny Park Let's cut to the chase. Some teachers are telling their students to lock the knees in certain asanas especially balancing asanas. These yoga teachers have no understanding of biomechanics or anatomy. Talk to any doctor or physical therapist and you will learn there are no rewards for locking joints (hyperextending), but there are definite risks. It doesn't matter, which Guru or master says to lock the knees, roll up your mat and leave the class because you only have one set of knees.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Some teachers lead great classes, but hardly anyone has heard of them. It is a shame that proper behavior, respect, and ethics do not make great headlines in the newspapers. Just watch the news, and read the newspaper for a week, to confirm what makes "good copy." It will not take long for you to find a dozen, or dozens, of scandals.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 How can teachers lead classes effectively? Behavior toward neighboring Yoga schools, teachers, and their students, should be cordial. Like the old saying goes, "If you do not have anything good to say, do not say anything at all." When we speak of other Yoga instructors, or former teachers, in a hostile manner, what do we teach our students?

By Kimaya Singh With the number of yoga practitioners continuing to rise, more people are experiencing firsthand the benefits of yogic methods. Countless personal stories of yoga training methods reliving stress have given it a solid reputation as an anxiety solution. While this evidence is sufficient for most people, everyone likes to have real data to back up their opinions.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 How important are communication skills? Here is an oxymoron for you: Some of the best Yoga teachers are great listeners. This is a general guideline for students who aspire to teach Yoga some day. Listening skills, in Yoga, start when you take your first class, as you learn by hearing, watching, and doing.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 The dark exists everywhere and so does the light. The dark side of human personality is in all of us. Unfortunately, Yoga teachers, priests, politicians, and police are human too. We are not perfect. Some people try to make business look dirty, but business alone cannot be dirty without unethical behavior.