Yoga For Beginners Guide

By Kimaya Singh Yoga is a high sought after class among many, and a good yoga instructor is hard to come by. There are many characteristics that go into what classifies an excellent yoga instructor. While some teachers are freelance and can go to almost any location, the secret to building relationships is providing a safe environment that they can return to each week, such as a studio. Even if you are teaching yoga at a local community center, you can still make sure that your class is the most popular location for yoga in your neighborhood.

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 Gopi Rao Sometimes mixing yoga and money can feel about as unlikely as mixing oil and water. Many begin their practice from a personal and spiritual level, which evolves into the desire to pursue yoga as a career. Making the transition from an inward pursuit to a moneymaking opportunity is tricky.

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 Marie Jerard, RYT 500, E-RYT 200 Where are you on your Yoga teaching path? As you follow the yellow brick road toward continuing education or becoming a yoga teacher, you will certainly come to many forks along the way. The decisions that you make will determine where your Yoga teaching path will carry you. Many say that Yoga was a calling, not a choice. Others choose Yoga based on the holistic lifestyle it affords them or the desire to become more than they are.

By Shalise Nichols At 28, I did my first yoga poses with the yoga deck. Within a month or so the asana/ affirmation combo caused shifts in my mindset and I realized I had work to do with yoga. While practicing I opened my mind to moments of quiet and reasoning, they were new and valuable. As I factored these into my daily life, I knew I had discovered gems, I wanted to teach children. Done, that was it, it was not a call. It was as certain as the sun.

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.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed The practice of the physical postures of Yoga is a wonderful tool for increasing our awareness of the way we move in the world. When we are practicing Yoga postures, the subtle nuances of how we move our bodies, our habitual thought patterns and a commitment or lack of commitment to the postures becomes strikingly evident. With an increase in self-awareness, it is much easier understand how the obstacles we are encountering in our life are generated by our habitual ways thinking and moving in the world.

By Kathryn Boland Do you hear students talking about the news? Do they seem tense, tenser than usual? Does it seem like they're coming to yoga to find tension release from all the craziness? No matter what side of the political divide people fall, we all feel - and likely internalize - the enormous amount of partisanship and tribal fighting currently happening in America.

By Kathryn Boland Do your students ask you questions, give you feedback, and share any physical or other concerns they may have in regards to practice? Do you wish they did that more often and/or in more depth, and wonder how you can encourage them to do so? Students know themselves - body, mind, and spirit - better than we instructors ever could. Yet they don't always know what to do with that knowledge.

By Kimaya Singh The way one chooses to earn their living is an important life choice. Most people need to work to support themselves, that's a given. Not everybody does what they love, though. If you have a passion for yoga and would like to share what you know with others, teaching could be your ideal employment solution.

By Kimaya Singh Could anyone firm up with yoga? People start practicing yoga for a variety of reasons. If your primary goal is to achieve a firmer, leaner physique, it can certainly help. Of course, practicing yoga alone isn't enough. Certain poses are more conducive to building strong, toned, lean muscles than others, too, so you'll want to learn the best ones and make them a regular part of your routine. Can yoga be used to get the lean body of your dreams? When combined with the right diet and exercise regimen, it can help you achieve incredible results.

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 Kathryn Boland Do you see students practicing backbends in similar potentially dangerous ways? Do you have strategies for working against this - proactively and/or retroactively? Backbending has incredible benefits- contributing to strength-building, stretching out various muscles, and offering energy boosts. We're dealing with the spine, however, so the potential for significant damage is very real.

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 Kathryn Boland Do you crave teaching more yoga than you presently are - even full-time? Have you crunched the numbers and thought out the logistics, to see if that might be possible for you? Teaching can be fulfilling and magical like nothing else, but it's not exactly an easy career path. Our bodies, bank accounts, and free time can take a hit. It often requires sacrifice. Let's break this down into things to consider in your decision whether or not to teach more.

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500 How a yoga teacher chooses to guide and adjust a student depends greatly upon individual style, instruction, previous knowledge, and abilities. There are no particular rules about assisting, and it tends to be a gray area when discussing yoga instruction. Knowing when to physically assist a student is crucial to their experience and it should be done with care.

By Azahar Aguilar Responsibility rests on yoga instructors to look out for the student's safety before, during and after class. A safe teaching track record leaves you and your students confident and better able to focus on the practice. Established studio tracking methods as well as constant communication between teachers and students will create this type of caring environment.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. Can Yoga be used as an adjunct therapy for addiction recovery? According to the National Sleep Foundation, roughly 60 million Americans have difficulty with some form of insomnia on a regular basis. Insomnia can take the form of problems falling asleep, staying asleep throughout the night and waking up too early. Some health conditions can exacerbate ongoing difficulty with insomnia, including sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. Your family doctor or a local sleep clinic can often successfully address these physical health issues.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 How does Yoga Nidra work for sleep disorders? Many people, in our contemporary society, experience difficulty sleeping well on a consistent basis. In fact, it is estimated that fifty percent of adults, in the United States, struggle with insomnia. The types of insomnia range from difficulty falling asleep, to waking frequently during the night, and waking up too early. There are many different factors that can precipitate insomnia. An individual may experience insomnia because of a medical condition, such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or periodic limb movement. Insomnia can also be caused by an inability to relax due to stress, anxiety, an overactive nervous system, and depression.