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By Bhavan Kumar Many athletes turn to yoga to provide a balance to their usual vigorous and demanding workout routines. Yoga training gives athletes' muscles and ligaments the necessary stretching that they need after intense work. Postures help prevent soreness, strain or injury. Power yoga combines the best of both worlds by giving athletes a more intense, cardio-based workout combined with the stretching and lengthening of muscles. In addition to the physical aspects, physically challenging classes help athletes work on focus and concentration through breathing and meditative practice. Power yoga teachers can pinpoint some key areas of the body to work on to give students a satisfying workout.

By Michael Gleason Life is getting faster and faster - both physically and virtually. and while getting a lot accomplished in the course of a work day is good, as is completing many overdue chores on the weekend that does not mean we as human beings experience anxiety and burnout.

By Faye Martins Vinyasa Yoga takes the idea of flowing breath and synchronicity to a new level. Movement is literally synchronized to each breath, and it is oftentimes called Flow Yoga because of how well it corresponds to every inhale and exhale. This technique, or term, is oftentimes used in all types of Yoga, and teaching it effectively is key to seeing success in your students. Since Vinyasa Yoga can be taught in multiple forms, using it in your classes helps you develop them better and more effectively. Use these tips to start teaching Vinyasa Yoga more effectively.

By Virginia Iversen, M.Ed Although it is snowing today, the spring season is one week away and with the advent of a new season; many Yoga practitioners and teachers will be starting new projects, courses and various training programs. As the pace of life begins to shift from season to season, many of us can easily become overwhelmed with the increased number of items on our to-do list. As anxiety levels begin to escalate with the increased pace of life and number of daily obligations, irritation and even angry feelings may begin to arise.

By Cynthia Horton Chair Yoga is a gentle discipline and has been referred to as one of the gentlest forms of yoga. Yoga is a discipline that when practiced consistently, increases strength, mobility, coordination, concentration, and can ease the physiological results of stress retained in emotional, mental, and physical tensions and blockages. Chair Yoga uses a sturdy chair (without wheels) or a seat to make yoga poses also accessible to those with limited range of motion and or limited stability. Almost any Yoga Pose can be adapted to a practice with a chair.

By Kimaya Singh Practicing Yoga poses before a great day of snowboarding is important in order to warm-up all of your muscles and ligaments and to prevent injury. Snowboarding takes a great deal of balance and muscular strength. It also requires an ability to modify your snowboarding technique depending on the snow conditions and terrain. There are a number of effective and challenging Yoga poses that will help you to warm-up for the day. Before practicing specific Yoga asanas, it is advisable to begin with five to ten rounds of complete Sun Salutations.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed Teaching Yoga can be uplifting, inspiring and challenging. In many ways, this is never truer than when you are teaching a group of teenagers how to focus, concentrate and complete a series of challenging Yoga postures! Teenagers, by their very nature, often vacillate between period of intense focus and periods of lethargy, apathy and oppositional behavior. This is particularly true when a teenager is struggling with any number of difficult issues, which frequently produce defiant and uncooperative behavior patterns.

By Kimaya Singh There are certainly no guarantees in life for perfect health, but practicing the yoga lifestyle can truly make a difference. When it comes to cancer prevention, there are preferred foods, meditation, breathing techniques (pranayama), and postures (asanas) that do wonderful things inside us that support and strengthen the immune system and major organs. Yogic practices allow the student to discover a healthy relationship between the mind and body. That connection focuses on concentration and living in the moment.

SLE or Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the organs and swelling of the joints. It has vast effects on the renal, skeletal, gastrointestinal and blood systems. It affects mostly people of Chinese and African origin and presents in a capricious and unpredictable manner.

By Jenny Park Yoga has become more popular worldwide in the last two decades, with classes popping up in gyms, and fitness and community centers across the country. Its popularity is exciting to those of us who have been reaping the benefits for years and want to "share the wealth." However, along with its newfound popularity comes an increase in yoga-related injuries. In some cases, inexperienced students might be pushing themselves too far, and in other instances yoga instructors might not be doing the best job of educating participants on potential risks of each pose. Both instructors and students need to make sure they are doing all they can to prevent injuries when practicing yoga.

By Faye Martins Vinyasa Yoga takes the idea of flowing breath and synchronicity to a new level. Movement is literally synchronized to each breath, and it is oftentimes called Flow Yoga because of how well it corresponds to every inhale and exhale. This technique, or term, is oftentimes used in all types of Yoga, and teaching it effectively is key to seeing success in your students. Since Vinyasa Yoga can be taught in multiple forms, using it in your classes helps you develop them better and more effectively. Use these tips to start teaching Vinyasa Yoga more effectively.

By Michael Gleason What should teachers and students know about Yoga after a knee replacement? Making the time to exercise, as well as being present, in our fast-paced culture can prove challenging. and sometimes we get lucky and have a good exercise routine supplemented with the right mix of yoga and meditation down to a science. Unfortunately, something unanticipated happens, such as a serious accident (traffic) or fall prey to something heredity like osteoarthritis.[1] One of these events could lead to needing a knee replacement. In addition to frustrations such as being in traction or limited mobility this knee replacement needs a game plan for getting back to the gym and our yoga practice.

By Kimaya Singh How can we teach Yoga to golfers? Golf centers, courses and retail stores can be found almost everywhere. Golf is a popular game that seems to involve hitting a small ball into a small hole. True golfers know it is much more than that. It's a game of great skill and precision, great concentration and focus. Many golfers complain of lower back pain due to the twisting of the spine during each swing. Yoga training can be an effective way to strengthen the core, loosen the spine and improve any golfer's focus. Private yoga sessions for golfers might be the key to their success on and off the course.

By: Virginia Iversen Warrior I is one of the fundamental standing poses of any Yoga practice. This pose is very grounding and invigorating. If Warrior I is taught and practiced correctly by your students, they will feel more focused, confident and stronger after practicing a vigorous sequence of Yoga asanas that includes a series of Warrior poses. With apt instruction, your students will be able to move into Warrior II and Warrior III from Warrior I Pose with little difficulty. As their practice progresses, they will also be able to move fluidly from a series of Warrior poses into Half Moon Pose and Eagle. Both of these poses are particularly nice to move into from Warrior III.

By Faye Martins The human back is a miraculous assembly of bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves. Backs should be both incredibly strong and supremely flexible at the same time. The back supports the whole body from the neck, through the upper back into the lower and then to the bottom of the spine. We use it for every single movement we make. If your back is hurting nothing seems to go right. Your back is the entire support system for your body and keeping it strong and supple is important for your overall wellbeing.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 How can Yoga improve the state of health for children? Hatha Yoga is an ancient series of physical postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques, which help to balance and rejuvenate the entire body-mind system. Practicing Yoga, on a regular basis, can tremendously support children's health, both physically and emotionally. A regular practice of Yoga, in the range of one to five times a week, has been shown to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, heighten self-esteem, and lower stress and anxiety levels that can contribute to the development of depression.

By Kathryn Boland Do you notice how the shifting nature of yoga practice in the West is opening up opportunities for new health/wellness enterprises? Have you dreamt up such an enterprise that brings together yogic practice/other wellness practice and your unique passions and interests? Perhaps you're unsure of how to get started? I'll detail the building and operations of a unique health/wellness business that demonstrates a true actualization of passion, and through that true seva (selfless service).

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed A very effective way of improving Yoga student safety during a class is by modifying the postures and using appropriate props when needed. By modifying Yoga postures and using props when necessary, you will help your students to move in and out of poses that are challenging, in a safe and effective manner. Using well-placed props and modifying postures will also allow you to teach challenging multi-level Yoga classes in a safe manner.

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 How does Yoga decompress the spine? Our backbone is made up of vertebrae and intervertebral disks, which work as cushions between vertebrae. As time passes, and the aging process begins, these disks start to shrink and lose water content or fluid present in them. This is also the reason why people lose their height as they age. These days, the majority of jobs require a long duration of sitting without any change in posture, leading to excess strain and compression of the backbone.

By Kimaya Singh Yoga can be a great way for someone to recover from a variety of painful and debilitating injuries, such as pulled muscles, torn ligaments, and broken bones. The gentle, low-impact movements of yoga can help strengthen muscles, soothe the mind, regain full use of limbs, and reduce overall pain. However the practice, if done incorrectly, can exacerbate current injuries and even lead to new ones. It is all too easy for an inexperienced yoga practitioner to push him or herself too far or get into a pose incorrectly. As a yoga teacher, it's important to stay up-to-date on how to prevent student injuries in the classroom. There are many continuing education options for this topic, and they can help any yoga instructor avoid having student injuries occur in their classes.