Yoga For Beginners Guide

By Faye Martins Should yoga teachers physically assist their students to help them get into the correct poses, or should teachers rely solely upon verbal instructions? The question is a good one, and sometimes a controversial one, since not all students feel comfortable with being touched by the yoga instructor. Other students, meanwhile, feel that they cannot get the most out of a yoga class without being touched. Take a look at these four tips for using physical assists during a yoga class.

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. Can you think of effective themes for Yoga sessions that are based on the seasons? Although many of us visualize the carefree days of summer, the summertime can also be filled with long "to-do" lists, as many of us plan assiduously to fit in all of the activities we had planned to do, during these supposed "lazy days." The same is true of many of the seasons during the year. For instance, during the fall many Yogis and Yoginis rush to fit in that final trip to the wilderness or to the ocean. In a similar fashion, the holiday season, as festive as it is, is also often a time of heightened stress, because of all the extra gatherings with family and friends.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, YACEP 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.

By Faye Martins How much impact does yoga have on the recovery of cancer patients? Yoga is an art form that is greatly appreciated for its positive effects on the body. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health are each enhanced through the practice of yoga and other holistic methods. Yoga is a calm and relaxing method of strengthening the body and ridding it of toxins, making it an ideal exercise for patients who have long-term or terminal illnesses. Cancer is a disease that is growing rapidly in today's world, but few know the benefits of yoga to cancer patients.

By Faye Martins There have been times when it has been stated that yoga teacher ethics were just a matter of common sense. Teachers have seen the looks in an intern's eyes, when the lecture starts. The intern's eyes tell me that he/she is thinking, "What's the big deal?" with respect to teacher ethics.

By Faye Martins Is there a need for mommy and me yoga classes? Family life is often busy, hectic, and over-scheduled. Moms and dads are going off to work each day, taking turns ferrying the kids to day care, school, and other events. Children are often the first to feel the effects of all this rushing around. They miss their parents, and want nothing more than a little one-on-one attention. Moms who stay at home with their children also feel overwhelmed on occasion and can benefit from getting out of the house for a bit.

By Kimaya Singh There are a number of energizing Yoga asanas and sequences that will help students to increase their level of productivity. Students are often challenged by many different commitments to their academic studies, personal interests, friends, sports and family obligations. Yoga postures and sequences that help to energize and invigorate both the body and the mind will help a student to reach his or her goals while maintaining good mental and physical health.

By Kimaya Singh While practicing yoga is typically a safe choice for the general population, it is a good idea to take a yoga class before beginning at-home yoga training sessions. Yoga is designed to stretch muscles, loosen joints, and relax the body, and although it can be practiced by the healthy, injured, young or elderly, there are some risks involved.

By Kimaya Singh Yoga is one of the safest forms of exercise and can be practiced by people of all ages with relatively low risks. As a result, doing yoga at home can be a smart health investment, as long as careful preparations and a few minor investments are made.

By Rebecca Chabot As I stand in Tadasana, the simple starting posture of many yoga classes, I reap the benefits of the stillness and focus that are required. As my legs engage and my spine lengthens, my body learns the correct way to stand. My body awareness is increased and my sense of balance is refined. My breath is steady and calm, increasing the oxygen that is circulated through my body. As with all standing poses in yoga, Tadasana not only helps to improve circulation, but also stimulates digestion and elimination, expels dullness and depression, and leaves me feeling invigorated, refreshed and light. The soothing calmness of my conscious breathing helps to cease the fluctuations of my mind.

By Dr. Rita Khanna 'Breath is life; hence the better we breathe the better we live.' Of course we all know this, but we don't bother much about it and don't care as often as necessary.' To breathe slowly is to prolong one's youth and one's life.' So say the Yogic texts which caution us to breathe as if, at birth, only a fixed and immutable number of breaths had been allotted to us. If this is so, then each slow breath we take preserves our precious respiratory credit balance and prolongs our existence.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 During Yoga teacher training, interns commonly ask similar questions. However, when considering Yoga student safety, the most common question of them all might be the following sentence:

By Jenny Park One part of the anatomy section in a yoga teacher training program to watch closely is why the skeletal system is so important during asana practice. In short, our bodies are uniquely different and our skeletons are almost as unique as our finger prints. As we age, our bones naturally become stiff and brittle. This makes getting around more difficult and much more painful. It is a little known fact that yogic exercise benefits the skeletal system. Yoga practice, which includes many standing, balancing, and inverted poses, has been proven to increase the density of our bones.

By Faye Martins Yoga is an activity that doesn't discriminate against the young, old, injured, or disabled. Everyone can find a way to succeed while practicing yoga. While there are always necessary precautions to avoid injury, there are no "right" or "wrong" ways to perform yoga poses. As each person finds what feels best for them, they will begin to realize yoga's wonderful benefits. Sometimes when we practice yoga, we must look at the bigger picture to find an overall sense of peace and wellness, increased strength and flexibility, and reduced stress. How we get to those end results isn't as important as actually getting there.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 When you are teaching a Yoga class, remember that this time is not about your personal Yoga practice. Teaching Yoga is about giving your knowledge to others, demonstrating and explaining the techniques effectively, and putting your students' needs ahead of your own. You will probably still feel the benefits of a Yoga class, but it also might leave you yearning for more, or feeling as if you did not quite get adequate fulfillment. It is up to you, then, to find time when you are not teaching to squeeze in a personal Yoga practice, where you can accomplish a number of things.

By Jenny Park Ready for a Yoga challenge? Spring is the time for changes and nothing freshens up a Yoga practice like changes and challenges. If your classes or your own practice feels stale, try making a commitment to do something new. Here are some ideas to inject new life:

By Faye Martins A regular practice of Yoga poses, breathing exercises and meditation techniques is a very effective and hopefully enjoyable way to ease feelings of anxiety. There are many different Yoga poses that will help to release tension and anxiety. You may have heard about heart opening asanas (backbends), but forward bending Yoga poses are also soothing and nourishing. Forward Folds also help to calm you down because they encourage you to relax into the pose while pulling your senses inward, which allows you to rest for a few moments in your own inner essence. Forward Bending Yoga poses also allow you to curl your body into itself while protecting your heart and abdominal areas. Additionally, Forward Folds open up your hips and first chakra area, which releases stagnant survival energy and helps you to feel more empowered and grounded.

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Vinyasa is a popular form of Yoga that, in the West, is characterized by movement - both while in an asana and when moving between two asanas. The breath initiates all movement in a Vinyasa Yoga class, resulting in a beautiful slow flow. Here are seven things that teachers of Vinyasa Yoga must know:

By Narendra Maheshri The Salamba Sirsasana, or Headstand, is one of the poses most widely identified with yoga practice. Many practitioners view it as a pose that, while difficult, should be aspired to because of the mental and physical benefits it espouses. Many raw beginners worry that the pose is too advanced for them to master easily, and yet mastering several poses like Mountain Pose, Downward Facing Dog, and Shoulder stand can help prepare yogis for the shoulder lift and inversion of the more difficult Headstand.

By Kimaya Singh Many people choose yoga because it offers a gentle, relaxing way to maintain good health without the high intensity or jarring nature of other workouts. Practicing yoga can ensure strong, lean muscles, proper posture and alignment, and better circulation. Although traditional yoga gets newly oxygenated blood pumping into the heart, it doesn't typically raise the heart rate to levels that will make it stronger. Power yoga, however, provides the best of both worlds: You get the benefits of all the traditional yoga postures while also getting a higher intensity workout.