- Your First Chair Yoga Class in a Senior Center
Chair Yoga has become more popular in senior centers, but can also be found in nursing homes, physical rehabilitation units, adult day care centers, and some Yoga studios. However, the vast majority of us will attend a Chair Yoga class in a senior center. - Yogic Affirmations for Life
Saying, and thinking something, as simple as, "I am happy," can have such a positive impact on your day. Over the centuries, Yoga teachers realized the value of affirmations, because of the way affirmations changed their lives and the lives of their students. - Yoga: When Should You Consider a Private Lesson?
So who needs a private lesson when you can buy a Yoga video and learn from the masters? Learning Yoga should be a "piece of cake," right? Wrong; as a matter of fact - Painfully wrong. - Yoga Tips for Managing Anxiety and Cultivating Positive Energy
When I hear anyone, who can walk, or easily stand on two feet, make statements such as, "Life isn't fair" and "I don't have enough time to take care of my health" - it reminds me of Russell Conwell's book, "Acres of Diamonds." - Yoga Therapy for Increasing Self-Worth With Mantra, Japa, Affirmation, or Prayer
Yoga practice has been an aide to mankind for thousands of years. In those thousands of years, many brilliant people, who had a lack of self-worth, have taken their innovative ideas with them to the next life. Their ideas could have advanced our species at a faster rate, but they did not take a chance. - Yoga Teachers, Prepare for the New Year's Rush - Part 3
This is the last article of this series, and by now, you should be getting some fresh ideas that will help you design a couple of new Yoga classes in your studio. - Yoga Teachers, Prepare for the New Year's Rush - Part 2
Let's continue with more ideas for workshops and some specialty classes that may fit in as part of your regular class schedule. You don't have to use all of these ideas, but you may find one, or two, that fit with your clientele and your Yoga studio. - Yoga Teachers, Prepare for the New Year's Rush - Part 1
The doors will fly open on January 2nd with enthusiastic mobs of Yoga students. What can you do to prepare for the busiest stretch of the year? How can you keep their interest all year long? - Yoga Teachers Lead by Example - Part 3
Behavior toward neighboring Yoga schools, Yoga teachers, and their students, should be cordial. Like the old saying goes, "If you do not have anything good to say, do not say anything at all." When we speak of other Yoga teachers, or former Yoga teachers, in a hostile manner, what do we teach our students? - Yoga Teachers Lead by Example - Part 2
It is a shame that proper behavior, respect, and ethics do not make great headlines in the newspapers. Just watch the news, and read the newspaper for a week, to confirm what makes "good copy." It will not take long for you to find a dozen, or dozens, of scandals. - Yoga Teachers Lead by Example - Part 1
During the course of a lifetime, most of us have heard the saying," Do as I say, not as I do." We see this kind of leadership everywhere we go. All politicians, religious leaders, police, sports professionals, parents, academic teachers, and Yoga teachers, lead by example, even if the example displayed is not a good one. - Yoga Teacher Training Aspects: Reminders to Yoga Students
When we teach a Yoga class, there are many things to remind our students. We want to be sure that everyone, attending our Yoga class, receives the best possible experience. Let's look at a short list of topics that will help your students on their journey of self-discovery. - Yoga Teacher Training Aspects: Finding the Guru Within
Every yoga instructor certification course is run a little different from the other. How many certification programs teach interns about finding the teacher within each of us? Many do, but some do not. In fact, some Yoga teacher certification programs do teach, "guru worship." - Yoga Teacher Training Aspects: Explaining Attachment to Outcome
What is the method used by veteran Yoga instructors to reach their highest potential? Some teachers joke about it by saying, "Practice, practice, study, and practice again." - Yoga Teacher Training Aspects: Communication
The higher value of respectful and courteous communication, between a yoga teacher and his or her students, cannot be understated. A harmonious classroom is the ultimate learning center for all students, as well as teachers. - Yoga Teacher Training Aspects: Class Presentation
Once you have become a certified yoga instructor, there are a number of ingredients involved in your class presentation and future growth. Any person, who teaches any subject, must have good diplomatic skills. The leap from student to teacher is a large one, and it comes with newfound responsibilities. - Yoga Teacher Training Aspects - Teach your Students about Tranquility
Yoga has been shrouded in mysticism for thousands of years. This is not a bad thing, as the goals of yoga are far beyond the pictures you see on the covers of yoga magazines today. So, what are the real goals of yoga? - Yoga Teacher Training Aspects - Physical Commitments and Communication with Students
If you teach any form of Yoga, you are expected to be a living example of good health. This can be easy for some and a daunting task for others. - Yoga Teacher Training Aspects - How to Teach Your Students About Presence
When teaching students about "living in the moment," where do you begin? When a student has just come into your class from work, he or she may still be stressed out over commuter traffic, deadlines, quotas, or a family crisis. - Yoga Teacher Training Aspects - Ethical Guidelines
The typical 200-hour yoga instructor certification course contains ten hours of ethics discussions, but how many adults really need to hear it? Apparently, anyone who is in a position of authority must be reminded of guidelines for proper conduct. - Yoga Teacher Training Aspect: The Motivation to Improve
There is a myth, which makes its way around alternative healing circles. Basically, there is a massive proliferation of the belief that visualization and wishful thinking are enough to succeed in life. The words work, motivation, and action, are not "in style" or "politically correct." - Yoga Teacher Ethics Standards
No overruling organization for yoga instructors determines official, professional behavior standards, or even certification. Yoga professionals still debate over where certain lines should be drawn. Yet, certain ethics are inherent in the yogic path, and yoga instructors will do well to adhere to them. - Yoga Teacher Certification for the Rich and Famous
There are cost-effective, and less expensive solutions, to learn to teach Yoga by becoming a certified Yoga instructor, without the cost of an "arm and a leg." - Yoga Teacher Certification and Instruction
The roles and responsibilities of being a competent, and effective, yoga instructor are up to the individual. Teachers should obtain sufficient training and education in yogic philosophy, anatomy, asanas, and pranayama. - Yoga Strategies for Anxiety Relief
Yoga classes offer a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Sometimes Yoga students develop bonds outside the class because they are "like minded" people, with a pro-active view toward life. The people you socialize with each day will "make you or break you." - Yoga Solutions For Insomnia
Much like any other disorder, insomnia is often the result of an imbalance within the mind and body. Yoga has been proven, over centuries, to help center the mind and body, while providing enough relaxation to help you sleep. - Yoga Solutions for Back Pain
Almost everyone has had some sort of back pain during the course of their lives. For most, it eventually goes away. For some, however, back pain never goes away. Yoga could be the answer to back pain. - Yoga Provides Relief and Health Benefits for Certain Health Issues
More recently Yoga has been shown to benefit people with specific health issues, such as fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, and scoliosis. - Yoga Practice For Empowerment
The benefits of Yoga practice are obvious to those who have a firm commitment to take positive action. The difference between empowerment, and failure, is that successful people never give up. Yoga is a mechanism by which practitioners gain mastery over their lives. - Yoga Options for Managing Anxiety
Yoga has many options for ridding your body of toxins, negative energy, stress, and daily anxiety. Yoga postures (Asanas) are most commonly known, but Yoga breathing techniques (Pranayama) are very beneficial; most can be practiced any time of the day. - Yoga Myth - Advanced Physical Prowess
There are many myths which surround Yoga. Most of them are circulated by people who have never practiced Yoga of any kind. Yet, there are some myths about Yoga, which have been accepted as fact, by Yoga practitioners. It is difficult to shatter an "urban legend," but let's look at one of them. - Yoga is Self Improvement
There are many different types of Yoga, but all of them contribute to mankind's self-improvement. So, mankind has been a work in progress for thousands of years and has organized systems to constantly improve. - Yoga is a Safe Solution to Weight Control
One more study tells the world, that Yoga can help with weight control and weight loss. The latest study was held by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. - Yoga is "Unity."
Yoga consists of many facets; Asanas is just one of the many parts of Yoga... - Yoga Instructor Training Aspects - Yoga Class Priorities
Sometimes, all of us need to be reminded to stay on course. After becoming a certified Yoga instructor, some of us become quite comfortable at the front of a class, but there are more than a few teaching mistakes to avoid. - Yoga Instructor Training - Yoga For Cancer Recovery
Yoga cannot replace the medical treatment that cancer survivors must experience. However, gentle, restorative yoga speeds the recovery process and provides therapeutic healing to a ravaged body. - Yoga Instructor Training - Yoga and Sciatica
Causes of sciatica can stem from several things. Spinal disc herniation is one of them. This occurs when the soft center of a spongiform ring of cartilage between spinal vertebrae bulges out. This effectively tears the tougher outer ring. - Yoga Instructor Training - Yoga and Arthritis
When a student, with arthritis, joins your class, make sure you ask them if their doctor has put any specific limitations on their movement. You want to make sure that you can provide the proper modifications to poses, if necessary. - Yoga Instructor Training - The Yoga Diet And Its Focus On Nutrition
Devoted yogis have paid close attention to their diet, as a part of yoga practice, for centuries. For the whole health benefit of yoga, one must pay close attention to nutrition. - Yoga Instructor Training - The Importance of Clear Communication
Just like any other subject that requires communication skills, you have to finely tune your speaking skills, if you want to become a Yoga teacher. Students will continue to come back to your classes because of interaction, social atmosphere, and intellectual stimulation. - Yoga Instructor Training - Teaching Multiple Levels in the Same Class
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by students, with a variety of ailments, in the same class? Are you looking for student solutions to your class scheduling? Let's look at a question and answer session. - Yoga Instructor Training - Mastering Your Communication Skills
When you consider all of the aspects to learn during a Yoga teacher training course - the case could easily be made that becoming a masterful orator is secondary. - Yoga Instructor Training - Cultivating the Orator Within
When training to become a Yoga teacher, many people struggle with public speaking. Even if we are able to get the right words out, we may be looking for the right volume, tone, or voice inflection, at the right time. - Yoga Insights: Walking Yoga Meditation
When you first start practicing walking Yoga meditation, you should set a steady pace and breathe naturally. Once you have established your pace, you should then try to focus on your breath without controlling it. - Yoga Insights: Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations), Part 2
The Sun Salutations will help eliminate toxins from your body. By creating healthy circulation and speeding up the elimination systems, within your body, the Sun Salutations work like a tonic. - Yoga Insights: Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations), Part 1
Surya Namaskar is now accepted as part of Hatha Yoga, but it was not always this way. Historically, traditional Hatha Yoga styles did not contain any of the Sun Salutation sequences, seen today, as an every day component of a daily Yoga practice. - Yoga in Practice: Turning Arguments into Treasure
Ever wish you could take harsh words back? Do you wonder how you could have prevented an impending conflict? How could an argument turn out to be a hidden treasure? - Yoga in Practice: Time Management
You learn many things in a Yoga class, such as: Living in the present moment; but how can you put your Yoga into practice in today's hectic world? We learn to meditate so the mind will stop multi-tasking, but once you leave the Yoga studio, or ashram, you have to face the world again. - Yoga in Practice: The Impact of Yoga Teachers on Society (Part 2)
Much like the counter-culturists of the past, Yoga teachers and Yoga practitioners do not have to operate within the confines of a system. A social worker or school teacher may feel like, "their hands are tied by the system," but Yoga teachers have much more freedom to change the world - one person at a time. - Yoga in Practice: The Impact of Yoga Teachers on Society (Part 1)
Let's look at some of the ways Yoga teachers, Yoga classes, and the many styles of Yoga have gently changed the world today. - Yoga in Practice: Ten Solutions for Depressed Yoga Students (Part 3)
Within Yoga are many facets, but all of them lead to good health. A Yoga student who practices "once in a while," is better off than never having practiced at all, but should not expect to see significant results. This is why Yoga teachers have to tell their students the truth about expectations. - Yoga in Practice: Ten Solutions for Depressed Yoga Students (Part 2)
As you know, anyone can feel a little depressed now and then - Yoga students are no different. Here are more methods to help Yoga students with mild forms of depression. - Yoga in Practice: Ten Solutions for Depressed Yoga Students (Part 1)
Yoga teachers often struggle with methods for helping their students deal with a variety of ailments. Depression is serious, and is one of many ailments, but much like stress, it can be the "root cause" of many more problems. So, let's look at ten ways to turn a Yoga student's life away from depression. - Yoga in Practice: Teaching Yoga
If you are feeling incomplete, at this time, write down your passions, reflect on them, and notice that one will stir an overriding desire within you. This is most likely your dharma. - Yoga in Practice: Speak with Mindfulness
Within the average Yoga class, or ashram, the principles of mindfulness are mentioned for the benefit of Yoga students, their friends, and the people they associate within the course of a day. Mindfulness is living in the moment, and putting the wisdom you have learned, during Yoga class, into practice. - Yoga in Practice: Projecting Happiness
We are all human, living life with its many "ups and downs," but how can we keep our spirits up in difficult times? Projecting happiness is free and does not require a lot of money. Here are some ideas that will help you to be happier, and hopefully, more worry free. - Yoga in Practice: Living in the Present Moment
When one of us decides to pursue the study of Yoga, we find ourselves living and learning Yoga every day. On or off the mat, Yoga students can apply their practice to the many lessons life has to offer. The result of all this learning, and applying Yogic principles to life, is a major leap in self-improvement. - Yoga in Practice: Is Karma Good or Bad?
What is Karma? Can Karma be a cloud hanging over us? Here are some ways to look at Karma, regardless of your religious belief. - Yoga in Practice: In Search of the Perfect Yoga (Part 3)
This is the last in this series of answers to statements about Yoga students who are searching for the perfect Yoga, or the perfect Guru. - Yoga in Practice: In Search of the Perfect Yoga (Part 2)
Shouldn't we just be happy that someone else is trying, or practicing, Yoga - instead of sitting on the couch? If you are a Yoga teacher, do not encourage this kind of thinking. - Yoga in Practice: In Search of the Perfect Yoga (Part 1)
What is the perfect Yoga? Is it hot Yoga, based on correct alignment; Vinyasa Yoga, only to be performed with props; or do props take something away from Yoga practice? What about Yoga styles which are not from the Hatha Yoga tree? So - what exactly is the right Yoga for you? - Yoga in Practice: Helping Negative People - Part 3
Remember the saying, "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime." You can always give away material, but what is more valuable than knowledge and acquired skills? - Yoga in Practice: Helping Negative People - Part 2
No wonder the divorce rates are so high in some cultures. It is because no one wants to give, forgive, or try to understand anyone including their wife, husband, or family members. - Yoga in Practice: Helping Negative People - Part 1
Do you know someone with a perennial dark cloud over his or her head? You're thinking: "I want to avoid negative people, not waste my time helping them out." What if this person is a family member, or loved one, who has turned bitter for some reason? You care deeply for this person and want to help. - Yoga in Practice: From Worrier to Warrior I
Is worry like a "monkey on your back," or is it a monkey in the mind? Are you in a state of perpetual worry? Is all this worrying affecting your sleep patterns? Can Yoga help you to calm down? - Yoga in Practice: Excuses for Lack of Practice
At one time, or another, we all think, "Why am I here?" Sometimes we think, "Why do I even bother?" Thinking about giving up is a temptation for all of humankind, but we continue to pursue our goals just like our ancestors did. - Yoga in Practice: Bhakti Yoga
If Yoga were like fine wine, Hatha Yoga would surely be the wine for export. It could be said that Raja Yoga and Kundalini Yoga got a fairly strong foothold outside India, as well. All of these forms of Yoga have many aspects, but the physical aspect is what lures most Yoga students - outside of India. - Yoga in Practice: Anger Management (Part 2)
So how can this violent chain of events, within the mind, be prevented? How can the ego and intolerance be controlled? - Through self-realization - also known as, "Vichara." - Yoga in Practice: Anger Management (Part 1)
Yoga has been able to help many of mankind's ailments, but what about anger management? How can Yoga prevent rage and the burning desire for revenge? Many people say: "Don't get mad, get even." Is this what we are talking about? - Yoga in Practice: Ajna Chakra
Do you think that Tiger Woods ever focused on missing a putt or losing a golf tournament? Whatever you envision, can easily become your reality. - Yoga in Practice: A Peaceful Planet
Non-practitioners often accuse Yoga practitioners of too much self-indulgence. The common concern is that too much self-awareness will cause the Yogi, or Yogini, to worship the inner being. Before you get too excited - you and I know this is not true, but the world needs some time to adjust to Yogic philosophy. - Yoga in Practice - Yogic Solutions for Fear
Yoga often helps us to carefully examine logical and illogical mind chatter. Fear can be caused by either, logical or illogical, thoughts. Sorting out our fears, and categorizing them, will give us a rational view of, an often, irrational emotion. - Yoga in Practice - Two Steps to a Clear Mind
Organizing the mind is just one of the many wonderful benefits of Yoga practice. Long-term students, of Yoga, manage to get the most out of each day, but is there a "system" to it? Let's look a little bit closer at Yoga's approach to daily life. - Yoga in Practice - Two Life-Changing Steps to Happiness
Practitioners of Yoga are shaping their future through daily practice. Change will be a constant factor throughout life - whether you recognize the effects of change, as it occurs, or afterward. - Yoga in Practice - Three Steps to Tranquility
Luckily, Yoga has many methods, which reduce stress levels and bring about inner peace. Let's look at some methods you can practice to relax and live in tranquility. - Yoga in Practice - The Yogic Path to a Trained Mind
If a student is not made aware of the true value of mental attention during Yoga practice, the mind-training benefits will still trickle through. Let's look at daily steps you can take to train, balance, and get the most, out of your mind. - Yoga in Practice - The Yama For Peaceful Co-Existence
Within Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, you learn many things, such as the Yamas and Niyamas. Yet, the moral ethics found within the Yamas and Niyamas are not always easy to apply to your daily life. The following is an example of using one Yama and applying it to your life. - Yoga in Practice - The Secret Arts of Yoga and Meditation
Over years of study, Yoga training evolves into self-realization and transformation. Below is a question and answer session, with a student, who is seeking to find the answers to the mysteries of Yoga and meditation. - Yoga in Practice - The Organized State of Mind
There are many methods for organizing thoughts, but the oldest of them is the science of life, which we call Yoga. The mind could be easily compared to any other structure or machine. For example: Have you ever tried to work in a messy office or operate a machine which is not maintained? The clutter within, and around it, creates a lack of productivity. - Yoga in Practice - Teaching Yoga With Humility
No matter how many signs you put up, cell phones ring off in Yoga classes. No matter how many rules you have, a small number of students continue to break old rules and create new ones. If you hand the studio policies to a new student, you may hear, "Why do you have so many rules?" - Yoga in Practice - Taking Control of Your Life
You must put Yoga, knowledge, and the desire to change your life for the best, into practice. Applying what you learn separates you from the masses. Most people read, listen to their Yoga teacher, and practice a little, but they go back to the same old routine of life. - Yoga in Practice - Solutions for Negativity
Recognizing your own destiny, through self-realization, is a foundation of Yoga. We often hear terms such as: "I need time to get it together," or "I need to find myself." This is the beginning of self-realization and the recognition of a need to find solutions. - Yoga in Practice - Seeds of Happiness
Within the practice of Yoga are the keys to happiness. Daily life is filled with what we think about. If we imagine a difficult day filled with problems, challenges, and obstacles, we will find what we seek. - Yoga in Practice - Recognizing the Guru
Has your Yoga practice ever challenged an established belief? Have you ever had your belief system turned upside down? For children, or young adults, to see a role model fall from grace, is painful; but adults base their beliefs on decades of experience. Let's look at solutions for keeping our integrity intact. - Yoga in Practice - Putting Revenge Aside
When you leave your Yoga class, you go out into the real world. Maybe someone says something rude, you get cut off on the highway, or you feel someone is taking advantage of your good nature. It is only human to feel a need for retribution, if an injustice has been done to you; but at what cost to you? - Yoga in Practice - Methods for Happiness
Let's take a systematic approach toward happiness, by using Yoga principles, and applying them to life. Here are a few more methods to help anyone find happiness at any time. - Yoga in Practice - Ishvara Pranidhana
Ishvara Pranidhana is sometimes referred to as the last Niyama (restraint or moral observance). Ishvara Pranidhana means to surrender to a "Higher Power." Some Yoga teacher training courses skim over this subject to avoid potential conflicts. - Yoga in Practice - How to Get the Most Out of Your Mind
In Yoga, mental health is approached from a pro-active mindset. Optimum mental health is the gateway to learning, self-worth, emotional stability, and communication with others. Let's look at Yoga's approach to getting the most out of our minds. - Yoga in Practice - How to Find Peace of Mind
Many Yoga practitioners are familiar with the value of a silent retreat to an Ashram or another sacred place. An extended silence turns the mind inward, which makes us more mindful during Yoga and meditation practice. - Yoga in Practice - Four Steps to Take Control of Your Life
There are things we cannot control, such as natural disasters and economic shifts, but we are not helpless. Let's look at four steps to take control of your life. - Yoga in Practice - Cultivating Healthy Relationships
In Yoga meditation, we look for answers within, and open our self-awareness, but we still have to relate to those around us. Relationships are a mystery to some of us, while others handle relationships like an art form. - Yoga For Weight Loss
Anyone with weight loss goals has to consider that there are many variables. Diet, genetics, activity levels, stress levels, and personal mindset, all play a role in weight control. Yoga can help you lose weight by improving all, or several, of these factors. - Yoga For Stress And Anxiety Relief
Today's lifestyles define the word, "stress." More than 19 million Americans suffer from some from of anxiety on a regular basis. Part of what contributes to the increase in stress, and anxiety, is that very few people know how to manage their stress. - Yoga For Losing Weight
With America tipping the scales on obesity, and weight-related health problems, it is more important than ever for all of us to stay fit. Many of us have already gone past the ideal weight category. - Yoga for Kids: Holistic Approach to the Health of Our Children
Yoga classes for children are a parent's gift of good health. Yoga gives kids a better chance to develop good habits, handle stress, find natural solutions to good health, and live a quality life. - Yoga for Kids: Building Self-Image (Part 2)
Children have to be taught to appreciate themselves as they are. Self-worth cannot be calculated by the skill of one single activity, and Yoga is the sum of many different activities, within a given class. - Yoga for Kids: Building Self-Image (Part 1)
Let's look at the positive aspects for children within a typical Kids Yoga class. Although, Yoga is a vast subject, and there are a number of topics to discuss; children are better off being taught to focus on four components within a Hatha Yoga class. - Yoga for Health: Are You Stressing Out? Take a Yoga Class
You could call Yoga the "mother" of all health maintenance systems. Many of today's health maintenance systems are "off shoots" of Yoga. - Yoga For Happiness and Prosperity
There are so many traditional and contemporary styles of Yoga, that it is hard to keep track of them. Yet, each of them shares, at least, one aspect in common. Each style of Yoga will help the practitioner to find happiness and prosperity by finding oneself, and by truly understanding the depth of Yogic teachings. - Yoga for Depression: Pessimism and Perfection
Is Yoga a cure for depression? How can Yoga stop you from feeling hopeless? Let's look at how Yoga can help you prevent negative thinking and the resulting damage negative thinking can have on your life.
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