mario

... popular demand, in order to keep our Yoga studios open? Should we create a new Yoga hybrid without a soul?

There are many new and interesting ideas to develop the mind and body connection, but Yoga teachers should not be discouraged. When most of our Yoga students get a mind and body connection through asana practice, this is a small start for the evolution of Hatha Yoga in western culture.

We live in a culture of Attention Deficit Disorder, and it is difficult for people to focus and unplug from distractions. Most of our Yoga students are totally addicted to multi-tasking. Some Yoga students quietly refuse to shut their cell phones off in class. No matter how many signs you post, there will be a Yoga student who will leave his or her cell phone on, and it will ring off.

No wonder, Bhakti, Jnana, and Karma Yoga, never got a serious foot hold here. Although Yoga teachers spend time on daily meditation - a deep meditation session may not be "popular" with your students, if a lot of nervous e...more

Kriya Yoga And The Nature Of The Journey

... terms with everything around you. The aim in combining them was to "purify" the mind and soul, and proponents of kriya yoga believe they can achieve self realization more quickly this way than following the other disciplines.

Kriya Preparation

The first step in Kriya is to 'prepare' your body, and that is done in one of a couple of ways. For many, Hatha yoga is the perfect preparation exercise. For others, though, who may not be as flexible, alternatives are provided.

Next in Kriya, the mind is prepared. General conduct is studied as part of the mental process in this discipline, so ensuring your mind is correctly focused is essential. Additionally, the Kriya yoga technique pushes you to study ove...more

Teaching Hatha Yoga - Principles of Human Advancement

...When teaching Yoga classes, there are times when you have to be a "cheer leader." What do I mean by this? There are many interconnected aspects of life, and we all play a small part in them. Each student's level of success, in life, depends on constant positive reinforcement during the day.

When you see an accomplishment, do not hesitate to praise your students. This does not have to be artificial praise or flattery. A heart felt compliment is much different. Far too often, people in general, and some of our students, feel they do not deserve praise, or that they have a right to succeed in life.

Every Yoga teacher knows students...more

Yoga: Three Reasons You Should Not Do Yoga Posture - The pigeon

...e can be done comfortably by nearly everyone who has healthy knees. Moving into the preparation of this posture the simple pigeon deeply works the hips and helps to release tension in this region of the body. It requires steady balance while curving backward.

The One-Legged King pigeon posture affects the whole body as it strengthens, stretches, and tones the spinal column, stimulating the nerves around the spine.

It stretches the thighs, the muscles of the groins and hip joints, abdomen, shoulders, and the neck. It stretches the chest a...more

...and women who were overweight at the beginning of the period and who started to practice yoga lost about five pounds, while those who were yoga free gained an average of 14 pounds within the next ten years. Now that is news! Imagine what the results would be for people practicing yoga 2-3 times a week.

The researchers have not concluded why the yoga participants lost more weight especially when most of them were not in advanced levels. More studies are needed at this time to give us more insight into the topic.

Participating in regular yoga classes and even getting good enough to venture into some advanced classes, has so many benefits. Here is what yoga can do for you.

Physical Benefits: Creates a toned, flexible, and strong body...yes, it helps to build muscle which will also help to improve ...more

Yoga Therapy

...the sincere conviction that they are exploiting to the full their physical and mental attributes, and the knowledge of this works insidiously throughout all they endeavor to accomplish in life. Half the sterile lives in the world are due to the unconscious (or sometimes conscious) realization of the inadequacy of the individual to reconcile his life with what he feels should be the true method of living. The result is a sense of frustration, for the individual wants something which he cannot identify. A knowledge of what a man wants is gained only after searching self-analysis, and the true Self is only revealed when its potentialities are made apparent. The postures, breathing exercises, and objectification of the body induced by Yoga therapy automatically bring into being a state of mind perfectly attuned to the world around. In other words, Yoga makes the patient his own psych...more

Exercising Using Power Yoga

...vel, finally closing the set out with a set of inverted postures, referred to as the finishing sequence.

Ashtanga Yoga is taught traditionally in a supervised self practice which means each student moves through the sequence at his or her own pace and level. In the West, it is common to find that the classes are designed for a specific series, and guided by an instructor. This improves technique and focus for the students although many graduate and move on to the more advanced levels.

Power Yoga really is a great workout that helps to improve your health through movement as well as exercising the mind, spirit, and body. Although it's mainstream, it is based on many of the traditional practices of Yoga handed down for many centuries.more

Breast Cancer Awareness and the Benefits of Practicing Yoga Daily

...ancer. This reduced risk was found in women regardless of their family history of breast cancer and in women at every level of risk for breast cancer.

Generally, the higher the level of activity, the more risk is reduced and while activity throughout one's life is important, activity at any age can help lower breast cancer risk. With this wealth of data indicating clear benefits of our yoga practice, we can better appreciate how we can help ourselves by continuing and deepening our practice and also help others by encouraging them to participate in a regular practice of their own.

Copyright 2007 George Carter. All rights reserved.more