By Faye Martins Walking is a great way to stay in shape. You can walk almost anywhere and during any season. Spending time outside in the sunlight is one of the primary ways to regulate your circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm governs your sleep-wake cycle. Walking earlier rather than later in your day will help to keep your sleep-wake cycle earlier as you burn off the hormone primarily responsible for sleep, melatonin.

By Kimaya Singh Wintertime is a season of great beauty, serenity and celebration. It is also a time when many of us find that we get a number of colds and are vulnerable to catching the flu. A regular practice of Yoga asanas and pranayama exercises will help to keep you in good physical and mental health. There are also Yoga asanas and pranayama exercises that are particularly beneficial for enhancing the functioning of the immune system. The immune system is "staffed" by white blood cells that are distributed throughout the body by the lymphatic system. Exercise in general will help to increase the functioning of the immune system by increasing the circulation of white blood cells throughout the entire body. Yoga asanas that turn the body upside down are known as inversions. Inversions will substantially support the efficient functioning of your immune system through the added power of gravity to increase circulation.

By Faye Martins Considering the many physical styles of Yoga, not to mention the diverse philosophies considering its practice, it is little wonder that there is controversy over the use of props. According to some purists, ancient Yogis never used props, and neither should modern ones. While opinions vary, mats are props and most Yoga instructors agree that props can be helpful. After all, most western contemporary Yoga enthusiasts do not spend long hours practicing in ashrams, these days. How many modern Yoga students would like to go back to the past and practice Yoga in dirt, mud or on grass?

By Sangeetha Saran Practicing Yoga over any length of time will gradually enhance intuition. Yoga is a philosophy that seeks to answer the eternal questions "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" The path to this inner wisdom is different for every traveler. Yet, at the core of any spiritual practice is a belief in a higher power whose presence represents pure bliss. How, then, can we reach our destinations?

By Shahid Mishra Parenting is at once the most rewarding and the most taxing job a human being can undertake. Babies do not come with a manual and there are no clear-cut steps to take in order to sculpt and create the perfect childhood. Parents always want what's best for their children; which adds to the task, making it seem like an insurmountable obstacle. Parenting is made easier and more natural through the practice of daily Yoga meditation.

By Dr. Rita Khanna In the modern scenario, human life has become very fast, hectic and demanding. The present lifestyle demands adjustment on the part of the individual. Each of us, as per our coping resources, tries to adjust in this changing world. Some adjust by becoming overactive and others by withdrawing from the situation. When we fail to make a proper adjustment according to the demands of the situation, a state of negative stress or distress develops in our personality, which gives rise to mental or psychological problems. In most people the mind always remains in a state of arousal and tension. Yoga nidra, as a technique of Pratyahara, not only provides relaxation to the body and mind but also has a number of other benefits.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 The art of combining Yoga and walking, while integrating mindfulness techniques into both activities, will help you to integrate and resolve emotional difficulties - providing your body and mind with a great holistic exercise. Spending some time outside in the fresh air, and sunlight every day, will also help to regulate your circadian rhythms (body clock) and increase your serotonin levels, which will help to increase your energy level and support a positive outlook on life. Practicing Yoga asanas and mindful walking together, or in tandem with each other, will benefit your body, heart, and mind.

By Faye Martins We've all had a bad yoga class. Sometimes the mistakes or problems were obvious, and sometimes we just left with a vague feeling of unease. Most likely, after a bad class with a new yoga teacher, we decided to try something else next time. If students seem to be dropping away from a class, perhaps some of the common mistakes of yoga teachers are being made. Here are some of the mistakes, and how to correct or avoid them in our yoga classes.

By Gopi Rao Modern psychology is largely concerned with fixing or curing the ego. There is what is considered a healthy ego and then there are various expressions of unhealthy ego development. These unhealthy ego types are given labels and terms with the goal being to bring these unhealthy expressions of personality into a more healthy mental alignment.

By Faye Martins The regular practice of sitting Yoga asanas can help trauma survivors to relax and release deeply held muscular and emotional tension. Trauma survivors often experience a rigid sense of holding in order to prevent themselves from remembering the painful experiences they have been through and to protect themselves from further pain and trauma. This holding or freezing is a basic instinctual reaction during a terrifying and painful situation.

By Kimaya Singh For thousands of years, sages have taught that meditation increases positive emotions and decreases negative ones. In our chaotic modern world, we use the word "depression" to describe a wide gamut of conditions ranging from temporary blues to disabling illnesses. Because it means so many things to so many different people, statistics dealing with diagnosis, symptoms, and treatments can be confusing or even misleading. While mild forms of depression often respond well to healthy diets, exercise, and meditation, others are more resistant to treatment and less likely to go away on their own.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Professional development is an important aspect of any career. Professionals from all disciplines seek to gain more knowledge, or to develop knowledge in a specific area of their field. Doctors, teachers, business people, and other professionals, know the importance of staying current with industry related trends and developments. Yoga teachers are no exception. It is important for instructors to stay abreast of any changes in the field of Hatha Yoga, as well as to educate themselves on the various aspects of living a Yogic lifestyle as a path to wellness and personal development.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Yoga has been proven as an extremely effective way to relieve stress, strengthen the body and mind, and improve overall health. Those who practice Yoga, on a regular basis, understand just how powerful the effects can be. Over time, the body seems to crave the feelings of strength and limberness a Yoga session brings. Yoga also provides a feeling of peace and well-being to the mind. Employees with high stress levels can benefit greatly from regular Yoga routines.

By Claude Aoukar 200 hour yoga teacher training programWhen teaching yoga, I used to start the session in Tadasana asking the students to breath in and out, feeling each vertebra of the body in order to achieve focus, concentration and stillness of the mind. One day I was interrupted by a young athletic lady who asked me, "What were the advantages of going so slow?" I felt that a few notions of chakras and band has would be necessary to answer her demands.

By Faye Martins Yoga is great for people of different ages, but is it beneficial in a preschool setting? The answer is a resounding yes, and here's why. It might be hard to imagine preschoolers successfully performing a discipline like yoga, but with the proper modifications it's excellent for younger children. Preschoolers often have a hard time focusing during the school day, and this is usually because the child has pent up energy that needs to be spent.

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 Faye Martins Yoga teachers know that pre-existing physical conditions are important when teaching students. This is covered in a basic 200-hour yoga teacher training. Yet, there are a few new students who may manage to slip by an orientation. Maybe they arrive late, or the staff is helping other new students, but each student should be made aware of precautions for his or her health. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the many ailments that teachers and students should talk about before practice.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 There comes a time in every Yoga instructor's practice where they must learn how to correct others in a way that is tactful, informative, and gentle. Forming a good technique for correcting others takes time and practice. It is often helpful to watch more experienced Yoga teachers in action. Inexperienced teachers should mimic how more seasoned Yoga instructors interact with students, correct form, or guide them into proper positions. You can learn a lot by watching master teachers in action.

By Bhavan Kumar The fall and winter seasons bring with them great beauty, a chance for introspection and an opportunity to slow down. The fall and winter are also a time when many of us catch colds and seasonal flues. If you find that you get frequent colds during this time of year, you may want to consider incorporating Yoga asanas that are inversions into your practice in order to enhance the functioning of your immune system. Our immune systems are detrimentally affected by a poor diet, lack of restorative sleep, high stress and toxins in the environment. Prescription and non-prescription drugs and an unhealthy level of alcohol consumption can also negatively affect the immune system.

By Bhavan Kumar One of the key elements to using Yoga as a therapeutic tool to heal traumatic memories is to remember to breath throughout your Yoga practice. If you forget to breath, you are still somatizing and freezing the feelings, memories and emotions in your muscle tissues. Somatization is often an unconscious protective mechanism for many trauma survivors. Unfortunately, it keeps the traumatic memories just below a conscious level and perpetually recycling in the mind and heart of a trauma survivor. Yogic pranayama exercises that teach you how to breath fully and deeply are very important for trauma survivors. Intermediate pranayama exercises that purify and energize the entire body/mind system are also very effective tools for releasing traumatic memories.