By Sangeetha Saran and Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, YACEP Yoga poses for medical professionals are needed now more than ever. Hospitals, clinics, and doctor's offices are busy and pressure packed. Unlike many jobs, there is no room for error. At this time, we have a worldwide epidemic that is filling medical facilities with record numbers.

By Faye Martins When it comes to exercising for a healthy heart, most people envision running, kickboxing or cycling. While these cardio activities certainly do give the heart some good exercise, new research suggests that activities such as yoga training may actually yield even greater benefits overall.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, YACEP Pranayama is possibly the most overlooked aspect of Hatha Yoga. Every Yoga teacher training course includes a significant segment about Pranayama. Although B.K.S. Iyengar wrote detailed works on the subject, some Hatha Yoga teachers barely scratch the surface on the subject of cultivating vital energy through breathing. Why is this happening in Yoga classes?

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Are there any difficult Yoga students? For the most part, our students are the best part of what we do. Many student / teacher relationships are friendships as well. However, at least once a week, I receive an Email about how to handle difficult Yoga students. Unfortunately, you could be the kindest and safest teacher within a 100-mile radius, but eventually you will run into a difficult student. One common reaction to being verbally assaulted by a student is to think, "Why me?"

By Kimaya Singh Feeling under the weather or down in the dumps does not indicate depression. Depression exists entirely on another level and causes symptoms of extreme sadness, feelings of hopelessness and endless fatigue. In severe cases, people with clinical depression no longer want to live, thus resulting in suicide. Doctors prescribe drugs, group therapy, and psychotherapy, but depression does not let go of the mind so easily.

By Faye Martins The ancient practice of yoga, which dates back more than 5,000 years, improves skeletal health through skillful selection and consistent application of a variety of exercises. Yoga poses for skeletal health are chosen for their ability to improve posture, increase flexibility and relieve skeletal system tensions. Yoga assists in maintaining bone density. It also helps minerals that are stored in the bones, as well as the blood cells produced in bone marrow, to be released to the bloodstream for the body's use as needed.

By Kathryn Boland Do you see students practicing backbends in similar potentially dangerous ways? Do you have strategies for working against this - proactively and/or retroactively? Backbending has incredible benefits- contributing to strength-building, stretching out various muscles, and offering energy boosts. We're dealing with the spine, however, so the potential for significant damage is very real.

By Bhavan Kumar Any posture has some degree of risk. The picture of Virasana brings to mind the contraindications regarding knees and pre-existing knee conditions. What does this have to do with hip replacements? Just getting to the floor after a hip replacement presents some degree of risk and physicians may differ regarding postures they approve.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 If there is one lesson that I can pass onto you in this lifetime, it is to question everything. Please do not take anyone's word as gospel - including mine. Find your answers through research. Lately, there has been a lot of misinformation about Yoga and many related issues. Some people would have you think that all of the teaching opportunities are only in the studios.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 How can teachers establish Yoga student safety guidelines? For all Yoga instructors, the number one priority in our classes is student safety. Hatha Yoga is important for the health of the mind and body, but, unfortunately, it can be unsafe if not practiced properly. In comparison to many other physical activities, Yogic methods are in the lower risk category.

By Faye Martins There is so much information available about teaching yoga classes, but there is not much information about making a living. Some certification courses teach you everything about running a safe class, but they teach you nothing about finding a teaching position, private lessons, or the many opportunities outside of the yoga studios. Outside of Aura Wellness Center and Bikram's Yoga College of India, I don't know of any instructors who have learned anything about marketing or business. Teaching full-time requires instructors to be creative in their business plan.

By Gopi Rao In this contemporary era, more and more people have become interested in education and getting physically fit. For this reason, individuals who choose a career in yoga instruction can oftentimes attain both economic security as well as the ability to make a positive contribution into the lives of other people. If you are interested in pursuing a career in the field of yoga instruction, you may find yourself wondering whether participating in on-going educational courses would be a prudent decision.

By Foras Aje After my interest was sparked a while back in regards to becoming an actual Yoga Instructor (or at least certified to teach it), based on my present schedule and commitments, I looked to see if there were any options online to get a certificate, hence the interest in online classes to teach Yoga.

By Faye Martins How can yoga improve heart health. In recent years, yoga has become one of the most popular ways to stay fit in the modern world. Yoga originated, in India, as a form of physical and mental health maintenance, in hopes of attaining total peace. However, you do not have to be a guru to experience the many health benefits of a yoga routine.

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 Faye Martins Yoga teacher ethics are an extremely complex issue. What if you met your soul mate in your classroom? If you are faithfully married, then the moral guidelines are simple, but what about single teachers who meet single students? If a student is married, that is also a simple matter of avoiding a real bad situation. However, is it right for a single teacher to date a single student?

By Faye Martins What can Yoga do for chronic back pain? From a point of pure speculation, it might be a fair guess to assume that 10% of the world's population is affected by back pain. However, let's look at the statistics in just one country. Back pain is something that impacts more than 31 million Americans in a year's time, according to the American Chiropractic Association, and a study conducted in 2010 called the Global Burden of Disease, which determined that lower back pain is a leading cause for missed days at work. The majority of cases noted in this study were not caused by infections or disorders, whether metabolic or degenerative, but rather by mechanical problems like severe physical trauma.

By Faye Martins What is the best yoga teacher training for you? Are you thinking about making the transition from being a student of yoga to a yoga instructor? These days, it seems that nearly every yoga studio offers a yoga teacher training program. For yoga studios, training instructors is big business. However, how do you know which programs are the most qualified? The following three questions will help you find the best yoga teacher training programs for you.

By Faye Martins Back in 2011, The New York Times profiled Tara Stiles, a former model turned yoga instructor. She's a "love-her-or-hate-her" yoga teacher based in New York City. Yoga traditionalists, quoted for The New York Times, say she ought to be ashamed of herself for her "yoga for the masses" approach. For these traditionalists, Stiles has shamelessly turned modern yoga into "just another gym class."

By Faye Martins The practice of yoga is meant to calm both the body and the mind. With slow movements and a focus on breath, we learn to quiet the mind and focus on the present moment. Most often, we need to be calm enough to handle the stresses of daily life, regret over past actions, and worries about the future. It is easier than it sounds to think only of the present moment. Our minds wander quickly, and thoughts tend to "snowball" toward worst case scenarios.