Yoga For Beginners Guide

By Dorothy Hudson About the same time that I was ready to choose a topic for this essay, I received a medical scare. What went through my mind at the time was what yoga practice could add to my health and recovery. Thankfully, my scare was just a false alarm, but it did cause me to want to research the relationship between yoga practice and the side effects of cancer treatments.

By Sangeetha Saran Hot yoga has become a popular option in gyms and fitness centers around the world. It's based on the idea of creating a warm, moist environment to imitate the climate of India. Since its introduction to the United States around 1970, Bikram's heated style has morphed into other various forms of hot yoga. Class structures can vary, but a heated yoga class basically involves a room that's heated to around 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity.

By Faye Martins Restless leg syndrome is a disorder that causes uncomfortable, urgent feelings in the body. It is considered a neurological sleep disorder. Those with restless leg syndrome can have a variety of symptoms including an insatiable need to move or shake the legs, a crawling sensation, or a tickling or itching feeling. Many people with restless leg syndrome also experience twitching or jerking of the limbs during sleep. Sensations are not limited to the legs, and may affect the arms or even limbs that have been amputated. The cause of restless leg syndrome is uncertain, but in some cases, there may be a connection to iron levels in the blood. Certain medications have been shown to cause or contribute to restless leg syndrome, as well.

By Faye Martins Many people opt to become yoga instructors, oftentimes by taking yoga teacher training online. However, there are many yoga students who have considered undergoing teacher training, but aren't sure if this career path is right for them. While there is certainly a difference between a student who's passionate about yoga and a full-fledged instructor, both share a passionate interest in yoga, meditation and advancing their practice. To help determine whether or not teacher training is right for you, here are some of the qualities that make for a good yoga instructor.

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 Faye Martins It is not a new idea that yoga can alleviate and even eliminate tension in one's life. People have been practicing yoga training for thousands of years. Some devote their entire lives to their practice. It is no wonder these days that people seem more stressed, and that more people are seeking out medications and other ways to feel more energized and happy. In an age of long work hours, technology leaving us hypnotized, and a culture of bad dieters, it is especially important to make sure that some time is set aside to let it all go, center ourselves, and move beyond the stress in our lives.

By Faye Martins The American Chiropractic Association states that 80% of people will experience a back problem in the course of their lives. Studies suggest that about 31 million Americans suffer from lower back pain, and it is the most common disability for people worldwide. Chronic back pain can impact a person's quality of life, but a strong asana practice can relieve some of these symptoms.

By Kimaya Singh, CYT 500 Pranayama - It's just breathing, right? How much harm could a little more breathing possibly do? You would be surprised. In some cases, we regard breathing simply as means to an end. It keeps us alive, and that is both the beginning and the end of its purpose.

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 Faye Martins In spite of Yoga's many benefits, not every pose is good for every person. In the case of glaucoma, an eye condition that causes increased pressure in the eyeball and can lead to gradual loss of vision, there is no clear-cut way for instructors to know which postures are safe. Danger is greatest for untreated glaucoma; risk may be minimal when it is properly treated.

By Faye Martins Teaching a yoga class is a big responsibility. You have to know how to get all of your students to relate to what you are teaching them despite everyone in your class having a different learning style as well as differing ability levels. What are some ways that you can learn how to teach yoga classes in an effective manner?

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, YACEP What should Yoga instructors know about giving an assist before a potential legal problem arises? Are there some general guidelines for assisting? Have you ever had an assist that did not really help much? Have you ever had a physical assist that hurt you physically or in any way? Do physical assists during asana practice make you feel uncomfortable? Is it really necessary for teachers to give a physical assist?

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 When or if, you want to become a Yoga teacher - would you be thinking of litigation, business, and Yoga? The old saying, "the truth hurts," applies to legality, ethics, and teaching Yoga. You can always "bury your head in the sand" and hope that you are never involved in a legal battle. After all, what kind of a student would sue his or her Yoga teacher? Doctors must ask each other this question every day. Sorry, but denial will not help you in a court of law.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed Teaching Yoga to students who are recovering from surgery, living with chronic illness or contending with an injury poses a unique challenge to both the teacher and the students. A challenge can also be viewed as an opportunity to sink more deeply into the Yogic teachings that underlie asana practice. One of the primary contemplative practices of Yoga is the awareness and implementation of ahimsa or non-violence into every level of one's life, including all of the various aspects of Yoga.

By Faye Martins Osteoporosis is a serious condition that threatens millions of men and women around the world. Characterized by bones that thin with age to the point of becoming brittle, it can lead to fractures, debilitating pain, and lack of mobility. Yoga therapy for osteoporosis has been found to be an effective form of treatment for the condition. When used as part of the daily regimen, yoga could actually slow the progress of osteoporosis in the body. In some cases, it has even been found to reverse the damage that has already occurred. Researchers believe that yoga can actually prevent osteoporosis from setting in.

By Kathryn Boland A summer or two ago I was browsing a local newspaper and saw an advertisement for a $5 sunset yoga class on the beach. Everything in that description appealed to me, so I penciled it right into my calendar. When I arrived at the small local beach for the class, however, there was nary a yoga mat in site. I asked a few beach-goers if they knew anything about the class - if it was perhaps farther down the beach, or had changed to another day of the week or time of night. No better idea from anyone.

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.

By Faye Martins Everybody struggles with stress these days. For many of us, Yoga is the perfect remedy, but what makes it so effective? Stress operates in a cycle. To prevent it from escalating, we need to recognize our triggers and reactions in their early stages. Doing so requires self-awareness and skill. Yoga increases our awareness, but it helps us to control our physical and emotional reactions.

By Gopi Rao Sometimes we refer to our instinctive wisdom as "gut feelings." Maybe we don't know why we feel the way we do or how we know the answer to a question. We just do. Some of us chalk it up to instinct or a sixth sense while others discount the phenomenon altogether. Could there be a scientific explanation? The answer may be the vagus nerve, a physical link to the mind-body connection.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed When we think about teaching Yoga classes that facilitate weight loss, we often think of vigorous Power Yoga routines or physically challenging Yoga practices performed in heated studios. These types of kramas or Yoga asana sequences certainly do help to boost students' metabolisms, burn calories and expedite weight loss. However, it is also important to balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems of your students through a regular practice of pranayama exercises, in order to facilitate mental well-being and hormonal balance.