Yoga For Beginners Guide

By Rachel Holmes This session of yoga exercises for runners is a combination of beginner, intermediate and advance techniques that will aid and boost the runner. Yoga for runners is proven to enhance the abilities of the runner through meditation, techniques on how to breathe and exercise techniques.

By Jenny Park It seems safe to assume that the majority of yoga instructors start out as students. It is usually a process of metamorphosis from that first day on the mat to making the decision to become a certified teacher. Yoga beginners often are unaware of what they will experience, as they become seasoned yogis. Yet, many experience a transformation so profound they feel propelled to move on from student to instructor.

By Michael Gleason Welcome to the great outdoors! Our sprawling urban centers are always alive, pulsating with subway cars or other rapid transit, forward thinking universities and their researchers, and technology firms consistently coming out with exciting innovations. And all of that is wonderful most of the time. Access to coffee shops, arts and culture, and progressive or unusual ideas are a delight. The city is awake and requires everyone to muster a definite amount of energy to keep themselves going but also to propagate all of these concepts.

By Sangeetha Saran When a practitioner decides to become a yoga instructor, he or she won't be prepared for every teaching niche. This is the case with teaching those who participate in running events. Runners often turn to asana practice as an effective cross-training activity. Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga give an effective and complementary option for dedicated runners and those who are training for 5ks through full marathons.

By Faye Martins One of the interesting aspects of teaching Yoga is finding out how many students actually take their practice home with them. Most students give honest feedback through a show of hands or a survey. My point is that some students won't practice meditation, pranayama and asana on their own, while others will practice almost daily. The reasons for this can vary depending on the results experienced, the student's desire to practice, how much spare time a student has to practice, and many other factors.

By Faye Martins Getting a Yoga instructor certification can be an enlightening and uplifting experience. It will allow you to bring the power of Yogic methodology to others so that they may improve their health and reduce stress levels. There are different levels of certification and once the most basic one is achieved, there are also training courses offered in specific types of Yoga. Of course, it is also a good idea to have some basic knowledge and experience with Yogic practices before deciding on a teacher training course. You should be comfortable within your own practice before you begin teaching others.

By Rachel Holmes As anyone with experience practicing yoga can attest, the discipline does a lot to calm stress and anxiety, boost mood levels, reduce the symptoms of mild or seasonal depression, and possibly even aid the treatment of PTSD. But you don't have to take our word for it: a Harvard mental health study, published in 2009, supports all of these positive effects and more, highlighting the benefits of yoga for those suffering from anxiety and depression, the latter of which can be a major source of mood swings.

By Jenny Park Chances are a student has asked you about yoga for diabetes. You might want to create a handout for the most common health conditions, but you don't have enough time. You look through your old papers and books to find that your yoga certification course didn't cover diabetes. Let's be honest, how many medical conditions can you cover in one yoga teacher training intensive? Don't worry, below this line I've prepared a handout for your diabetic students and their friends.

By Faye Martins I know, we have plenty of guys out there teaching, taking Yoga teacher training courses, and practicing in the studio or at home. I'm happy to see an increase among men who teach Yoga or attend classes regularly. However, I see a few young mothers during the week that really need some downtime. For some, they have a supportive family unit. For others, it sounds like their unit has fragmented. I'm thankful that my parents always worked together for the sake of the family, but times are certainly different one generation later.

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. Thankfully there is yoga for anxiety.[1] Sally Susinno, RYT-200 of Wellesley, Massachusetts, pointed out that more and more people are waking up and drinking larger and larger flagons of sweetened coffee drinks and diet colas which make their bodies more and more wound up. Caffeine is also a diuretic which can lead to dehydration, or just not enough water consumption over the course of the day. At the end of the day, the sweeteners and the stimulants have people reaching for sleeping pills - both over the counter and prescription strength.

By Gopi Rao Yoga needs few accessories. It implements your own weight instead of dumbbells. No machines are necessary. When you are travelling, it is easy to wrap up your mat with a yoga belt and throw it in the car or tie it to your carry-on bag. Your phone will always be there to provide the soothing music you may want to incorporate into your routine.

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 Jenny Park Many people who practice yoga regularly are much healthier than those who don't. However, our bodies are different and not every person who decides to become a yoga instructor will be the best example of a person with an optimal immune system. Yet, there is a perception among students that yoga teachers never get sick.

By Jenny Park When you are young, you might be lucky enough to live without joint pain. You might not understand why skeletal health is such a big part of a yoga teacher training course. Anyone who has suffered joint pain knows what an important role the joints play in overall body function and a healthy, happy lifestyle. When the joints are uncared for, the pain can make it unbearable to accomplish everyday tasks. Whether you currently suffer from joint pain in the form of things like arthritis and other rheumatic conditions, or you don't suffer at all, yoga is great for prevention, reduction or elimination of pain.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500 Perhaps you love taking yoga and have felt a calling to teach it. Your best course of action, then, begins with a period of reflection on the subject. If you decide to pursue this plan, you'll need to enroll in an excellent yoga teacher training program.

By Sangeetha Saran How can Yoga improve your emotional health? Most people who do yoga understand how daily practice can give a person a healthier, leaner, more balanced body. What people may not be aware of is the very real possibility that regular and repeated yoga sessions can greatly improve the emotional health of the practitioner. If you've been a yoga instructor for some time, you've certainly noticed your students becoming more limber and flexible. Look closely, and you will probably see positive emotional changes to their innermost beings, as well. Yogis and yoginis who begin every day with a sun salutation tend to keep that glow about them everywhere they go.

By Jenny Park Ethics and philosophy are covered in every Yoga teacher training intensive, but there is no guarantee an instructor will walk the straight line for life. Yoga is based on a foundation of principles including compassion, integrity, truthfulness, kindness, generosity, patience, forgiveness and helpfulness. The purpose of yogic methods is for students and instructors to learn to live a life that follows these virtues as closely as possible. It makes sense that those who choose to teach yoga would follow the yogic philosophies on a regular basis, incorporating them into their lives whether they are in front of a class or not. There are many wa

By Faye Martins Many Hatha Yoga teacher training courses don't have an oath for graduates, but maybe we should all have one. In this way, instructors would be constantly mindful of ethics, compassion, safety, and loving kindness, at all times. Here is the oath of a Kundalini Yoga teacher: "I am not a woman. I am not a man. I am not a person. I am not myself. I am a teacher."

By Jenny Park Ever since you decided to become a yoga instructor, you've dreamed of teaching a full class of athletic students. Now that you have them, you're concerned about safety and you want your students to have the best possible experience in your classes. Below are five tips that you may want to pass on to your students.

By Jenny Park The term "hot yoga" may refer to a wide variety of yogic styles. Classes might include a series of static postures or a flowing vinyasa sequence with continuous movement. What "hot yoga" classes have in common is that they are typically practiced in a room heated anywhere from 90 to 110 degrees.