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By Gopi Rao, CYT 500 Most people know that Yoga can lead to better physical health, but many are unaware of just how thorough the practice can be. When it comes to spinal disc decompression, Yoga can provide relief in several ways, making it a holistic treatment appropriate for people of all ages. Here are some of the ways in which Yoga helps lead to better spine health.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 What are group dynamics and how do they apply to Yoga classes? "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." The sentiment rang true when Aristotle said it; and it's still true today. Many of us have experienced it in class: The dynamic energy of a room full of Yoga practitioners, all practicing together on a day when every student's practice is going well. It is an exhilarating sensation. Yes, but how can this mindset be cultivated?

In this example, you have the opportunity to model a state of gracious acceptance for your student, by asking the student to pause for a moment and notice how his or her body feels right now. As your Yoga student becomes aware of what his or her body truly needs in the moment, without negating, minimizing or justifying another course of action, you will have the opportunity to model a state of gracious acceptance of "what is" for your student. In this way, your student will feel more accepting of his or her own physical aptitude and level of fitness. This state of open, gracious acceptance will then allow both you and your student the ability to choose appropriate Yoga postures and breathing exercises that will truly nurture the student's strength, flexibility and a deep, inner sense of respectful equanimity.

By Faye Martins How can a yoga teacher explain wellness and its relationship to yogic methodology? When new students ask How yoga can help improve their lives, many teachers shrug and say, "It helps with everything." While this may sound like a flip answer, the truth is that asana, meditation and pranayama can help students with virtually every aspect of their physical and mental well being.

Most people think that red meat is unhealthy for you, but that's because they don't understand how the health of the animal affects how healthy the meat is for consumption.  Keep this in mind -- "an unhealthy animal provides unhealthy meat, but a healthy animal provides healthy meat".

By Rick A. Lee Not every child is good at sports and it's sometimes difficult to know how to get your children to exercise, when you know they don't enjoy competing. Forcing children into competitive situations can be damaging to their self-confidence and reinforce their dislike of exercise of any kind. When your child isn't getting enough exercise, it can be quite a problem thinking of ways to get them away from the computer or T.V. Well, I want to tell you a little about the benefits of yoga for children and how it can help them to stay physically and mentally active.

"How often should I practice Yoga?" is one of those questions most frequently asked of Yoga instructors. Like other theories involving...

There are some contraindications to doing Downward Dog. If you have a wrist, shoulder elbow or neck injury it is better to modify it or skip the pose if you don't know how to modify. During a head cold, sinus or ear infection, eye problem or after recent dental work it's advisable to avoid the full pose because it puts your head upside down and increases swelling and inflammation and may decrease healing time.

By Kimaya Singh The Internet is a creative tool that has made life easy or complicated. It is now easier to pay bills, link with friends and family members, purchase products and even learn the course of your choice. Yoga teachers, on the other hand, have found much relief through sending information online. First of all, teachers can reach as many students as possible and send them the latest newsletter to stay in touch. When it comes to Yoga teacher education, the main factor to consider is the manner of how you intend to absorb all of the new information within your field.

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 Faye Martins Many people find yoga to be a great way to relax and get exercise. Yoga is a great way to mentally unwind and it promotes sports recovery. You may have thought about how great it would be to learn how to teach yoga students. If you are interested in teaching yoga, you probably have already taken classes before. If you are new, you may wish to try different types of yoga to see which types you would most enjoy teaching. You may wish to sample a few different classes if you have been with one instructor for most of the time you have been learning. By sampling different instructors you can also get ideas based on what other teachers do for your own classes. When you are planning to teach your first class, you may want to focus on a beginner class to keep the moves simple.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500 If you teach pranayama in your classes, you may have come across a student who has a lung disease. We may learn how to modify asanas in a yoga certification course, but how do you modify pranayama? Think from the perspective of a student who struggles to breathe all day long. You have to make your modifications simple, but effective.

By Kimaya Singh How many of your students have insomnia and How frequently do they have it? A conservative statistic regarding adults who experience nights with sleeplessness is 30%. Some people claim the number to be much higher than studies and reports. This subject may not have come up in your yoga teacher training, but you should know which yogic techniques help one get a night's sleep. Yoga for insomnia is a viable solution and there are no bad side effects that occur with practice.

By Kathryn Boland In a prior article I described how my father took me to a great little shop/art gallery down a windy and dusty road, and how that led me to reflect on the advantages of going "off the beaten bath" - exploring the unconventional for new knowledge, skill development, and enjoyable experiences. My father said something else while we were in that "arty" little store that led me to reflect on another general theme. He said something to the effect of (I paraphrase) "There's so much to see, it's almost overwhelming - but if you take a second time around the whole store, you'll see totally new and cool stuff."

By Dr. Rita Khanna We have been taking care of the physical body, trying to meet our nutritional needs with adequate vitamins and minerals but we have not been trying to supplement the necessary needs of the mind, the state of the inner being which constitutes real health. Therefore, man has become mentally ill. He does not even know how to think, what to think, or why to think; what to feel, how to feel, or why to feel. His mind is like a motor car being driven by a driver who is heavily drunk. By chance the car may reach its destination, but more than likely it will meet with an accident along the way.

By Kathryn Boland Have you wondered how often you should change up your sequences? how much? Does that seem to vary at different places where you teach? Some styles of yoga, such as Bikram and Ashtanga, have a set sequence that students practice every class. With Hatha and Vinyasa, however, teachers have the freedom to vary sequences class to class. In a way, that becomes an obligation, because students start to expect it. Offering new poses, transitions and flows also gives students places into which they can grow. It helps them to drink a few more drops of the vast ocean that is yoga practice.

What causes nausea and how can you avoid/treat it at home? You feel nauseous when your stomach either stops contracting or... Ever wonder why you feel so uneasy while driving across a rough, bumpy road? how does nervousness lead to nausea? Patients with nausea make up 6.7% of all cases treated...

Today was an exceptionally bright day. At least the morning. The rest of the day was marred by Kate throwing up on me nonstop. She felt a strong sensation of nausea and dizziness. But why does she eat at that weird Mexican place when she knows it makes her stomach sick? Every time she goes there, she feels a gut-wrenching, stomach-turning urge to release all that her belly holds. I mean, the stomach is an elastic bag made of muscular walls containing acid. We read that in science once. But why does Kate's stomach hold a serious grudge against Mexican food?

By Gopi Rao How can we protect the knees of our students during class time? Knees are one of the most vulnerable parts of the human anatomy. No matter what type of fitness regimen you choose, the knees will often take a beating. Very few sports spare the vulnerable knee, and it is common to see all kinds of athletes, including runners, tennis players, and dancers wearing knee stabilizers.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500 The most talented and experienced yoga teachers do a lot more than teach students how to achieve poses. They go well beyond the physical by teaching students how to be more mindful and aware of their bodies too. Body awareness is an intrinsic part of yoga. After all, the word "yoga" itself translates to mean, "to yoke," which is another way of saying "to unite." Without making students aware of this exciting benefit, though, they could easily miss out on it. Therefore, yoga teachers should make a point of explaining the concept of propioception to their students.

By Faye Martins How can you educate prospective yoga students? You don't have much time to capture the attention of anyone these days. People are distracted by the beeps and chirps of electronic devices. Therefore, when prospective yoga students seek you out for information about your classes, you must be prepared.