Group items matching

in title, tags, annotations or url

By Leah Nagy The difference between a mediocre yoga class and a completely transformational one starts with the instructor's intention. By focusing on only the physical practice of the asanas, a true yoga practice is incomplete. A meditative theme that runs throughout a class is helpful in creating a sense of well-being for the body, mind, and spirit. There are all different types of themes that yoga instructors use. Some are for the type of students in the class, i.e. gentle yoga. Others are structured around a specific body part or type of pose, like backbends. Preparing the class for one difficult pose by opening those specific areas of the body first is the way of Anusara Yoga. The meditative theme is helpful in the connection between the teacher and student and ties the class together.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. Is music generating enthusiasm in your classes? There is nothing quite as unsettling in a Yoga class as showing up for a Power Yoga class and having melodic new age music playing in the background, or attending a Yin Yoga class with hip hop music playing at a high enough volume that you can feel the reverberations through the floor boards. As a Yoga instructor, a very simple and straightforward way to generate enthusiasm in your classes is to choose appropriate musical selections that match and enhance the postures and breathing exercises through which you are guiding your students.

By Faye Martins Children's yoga classes are a wonderful way to introduce kids to yoga poses, breathing, and philosophies. classes can easily be modified to suit many different ages, from babies to tweens. Children can begin to feel the positive results of a yoga class, making them more likely to choose yoga as a lifelong activity. There are many different ways to keep children engaged and interested in the class. Yoga instructors can build a class around an animal theme, encouraging the children to voice animal sounds, make a game out of the poses, or create an interactive story with yoga poses incorporated throughout.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. Is music generating enthusiasm in your classes? There is nothing quite as unsettling in a Yoga class as showing up for a Power Yoga class and having melodic new age music playing in the background, or attending a Yin Yoga class with hip hop music playing at a high enough volume that you can feel the reverberations through the floor boards. As a Yoga instructor, a very simple and straightforward way to generate enthusiasm in your classes is to choose appropriate musical selections that match and enhance the postures and breathing exercises through which you are guiding your students.

By Faye Martins Are you practicing Bikram yoga or hot yoga and what's the difference? Bikram Choudhury is the creator of Bikram Yoga. Bikram's style is a type of heated Hatha practice. Bikram's style falls under the auspices of Hot Yoga because it is practiced in a heated room. In this series of postures, 26 asanas are performed twice, as well as two breathing exercises. The sequence of postures and the dialogue of the teacher leading the series is very set. The studio must also be heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity level of 40%. The class itself lasts for 90 minutes. These guidelines must be strictly followed in order for a class to be considered a Bikram class. Additionally, the Bikram style Yoga teacher must be certified by Bikram's Yoga College of India. Any modulations of these criteria make the class a heated class instead of a Bikram class.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. Choosing effective themes for teaching Yoga classes is one of the subtle nuances of teaching that will help to keep your classes fresh and engaging. Sequencing a series of physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation techniques that nurtures your students' well being, in a balanced and effective manner, is similar to a stringing a handful of loose pearls together. Choosing effective and appropriate themes for your classes is the very glue that holds together the individual postures and gives the class itself a deeper and more profound meaning than the simple practice of individual asanas and pranayama exercises.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 What would you do if a health club manager had to substitute your class for an aerobic step class? What if one of the step aerobics students gave you a case of misplaced aggression because he or she was disappointed the step aerobics class was canceled? If you are considering teaching Yoga in a fitness center, or health club; imagine the following situation. A Power Yoga teacher is called, by the fitness center she works for - to substitute her class for the regular step aerobics class; this is her story.

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 Kimaya Singh It is an exciting time for yoga students and teachers, with so many different types of yoga classes offered today. However, we must not forget the importance of choosing the right class because not every class is one-size-fits-all. Some classes are geared toward beginners, while others require prior knowledge of poses. Students who attend an advanced class without knowing the associated risks are putting themselves in a position for potential injuries.

By Faye Martins Teaching kids yoga classes requires creativity, energy, and variety. Children will soon grow weary of a class that is the same every single time. While you don't have to reinvent the wheel for each class, it helps to have an arsenal full of ideas. There are many ways to spice up a class that has gone stale.

By Kimaya Singh As a certified yoga instructor, when to offer different yoga classes depends on whether you are teaching yoga to individuals or groups as an employee or whether you are a business owner with your own yoga studio. Offering Different Yoga classes as an Employee As an employee for yoga studios or gyms, you may have to work within restricted limits or you may be given full latitude to create any type of courses that you like. Assuming that you have the freedom to choose your own curriculum, then one way to offer different classes is to simply divide your particular style of yoga into different skill levels. So, you could have beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes.

By Narendra Maheshri Teaching Yoga requires a certain level of commitment, both to yourself and the students who are learning from you. Just as life is always evolving, so is your practice. Choosing techniques for a lesson plan is going to depend on a number of factors. Some of those factors will include the types of classes you will be teaching. After all, a class you would teach for school age children would probably require a different lesson plan than a class you would be leading for people who are senior citizens. A beginners Yoga class will differ from a more advanced class.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. Choosing effective themes for teaching Yoga classes is one of the subtle nuances of teaching that will help to keep your classes fresh and engaging. Sequencing a series of physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation techniques that nurtures your students' well being, in a balanced and effective manner, is similar to a stringing a handful of loose pearls together. Choosing effective and appropriate themes for your classes is the very glue that holds together the individual postures and gives the class itself a deeper and more profound meaning than the simple practice of individual asanas and pranayama exercises.

By Sylvia Borden Creating a focus for a yoga class can help to keep the students, as well as the instructor, engaged throughout the class. Many ideas, that surround our lives, can inspire and translate into great plans for a yoga training session. Changes in the seasons, something that happened recently in the world, or to the instructor, and life's challenges, are all great areas to start with building a theme. A winter solstice, for example, could be used to challenge the body, mind, and spirit to a change, just like the change in the season. Taking thoughts to paper, and then destroying the piece of paper that holds those thoughts, can allow for a transition during the class that can be carried away long after the class had ended.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Parents often read or hear that Yoga will help their children. However, what can parents expect from Kids Yoga classes? Starting with the very first Yoga lesson, classes are a great way to constructively keep children active, teach them lifelong habits, reduce temper tantrums, and give them improved body awareness. The benefits of kids Yoga classes include increased flexibility and strength, improved focus and concentration, and an ability to cope with stress and anxiety. While children aren't necessarily aware of each of these benefits, the most important things they do know is that it's fun and it feels good. Parents, on the other hand, want to know precisely what they can expect when they enroll their kids in a Yoga class.

By Shone Wetson Modern yoga classes are varied in types. There are hot yoga classes, as well as naked, general, and even therapy type classes. There is truly a practice for all types of people, whether you want to improve your body or you are just starting out. The many benefits of taking a class include stress relief, weight loss, increased flexibility, and becoming in tune with your mind, body, and soul. There are multiple positions and angles to take when doing yoga, so it is truly designed for all types of people.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed If you are teaching a number of Yoga classes on a regular basis to a diversity of students, you probably notice that many of your students are just as stressed about "getting a good workout in" and practicing as many challenging postures as possible during class, just as they are about accomplishing as much as possible "off the mat" in their daily lives! This level of frenetic activity can undermine the more grounding and replenishing aspects of a well-rounded Yoga class.

By Eleanor Bartel Although there are many teachers who specialize in prenatal yoga and offer specific classes for pregnant women, nearly every teacher will come across a pregnant student during their career, no matter what style of the practice they teach. Whether you want to offer specific classes for prenatalyoga or just want to be able to help any pregnant students in your regular class, learning more about yoga during pregnancy can be useful knowledge that helps you ensure every student can have a positive experience with the practice in your class, no matter what trimester they are in.

By Bhavan Kumar In order to be an effective yoga teacher, strive to provide a comfortable, challenging environment for students. You must have knowledge of the philosophy of yoga, the poses, and breathing exercises, but knowledge alone is not enough. You must also be able to communicate with your students in a positive manner, keeping them coming back class after class. It is important to think about the logistics of how you will format the class, how you will address the different levels of expertise within the class, how you will explain the poses and philosophy so the average person can understand, and how you will correct incorrect postures in gentle, nonjudgmental ways.

By Kathryn Boland Are you curious about balancing your brain? Do you enjoy taking yoga classes, when you're not teaching? Do you find your instructor "brain" talking to you, even when you're in a student role? Many sources that I've encountered affirm that taking class can greatly expand your skills as an instructor. You can learn new ways to enter into postures, helpful accommodations for certain types of students, and more. On the other hand, not allowing yourself to sometimes be a student can limit your abilities to understand your students' experiences in class, and to otherwise develop as a yoga practitioner. Like many aspects of being a yoga instructor, it's a fine balance that we learn to more skillfully walk with time, experience, and engaging with those in our yoga communities.