Best Poses When Teaching Chair Yoga Classes

By Faye Martins

Chair yoga is an unconventional and gentler type of yoga that is performed while seated in a chair or standing but using the chair as support. The poses are commonly modifications of Hatha Yoga poses. In most instances, chair yoga students are unable to practice traditional yoga as a result of aging or some form of disability. Those who are teaching chair yoga classes mostly do so at adult daycare centers, retirement facilities or senior fitness centers.Who Can Practice Chair Yoga?

Senior citizens are the target demographic for chair yoga classes. However, those with neurological disorders and the obese are also candidates of the chair method. Also, many office workers take advantage of the adaptations found in the practice by using stretches at work after sitting in front of a computer for many hours at a time.

Why Do Chair Yoga?

There are an endless number of poses that can be conducted using chair yoga which help to break unhealthy patterns and strengthen and tone muscles. Chair yoga poses help to increase the amount of blood that flows to the body. Through a number of breathing exercises, the body become calm, relaxed, energized, focused and rejuvenated while strengthening the circulatory and nervous system. Also part of chair yoga is meditation and visualization which help to remove stress.

5 Best Chair Yoga Poses

Those who are teaching chair yoga classes commonly recommend the following five poses which can be done at home, work or at the gym and are popular in class.

Sitting Mountain

This pose begins by sitting close to the front edge of the chair, feet parallel, hip-wide apart with ankles, knees and hips at right angles and feet pressed against the floor. Lift your head to the ceiling and lengthen your neck and spine while anchoring your behind to the chair. Next, roll your shoulders up, back and relaxing down. Finally, lift your sternum while keeping your chin parallel with the floor and bring your palms together, touching thumbs over your heart.

Full Sitting Mountain

From the Sitting Mountain pose, reach your arms above your head as you inhale so that they are shoulder-width apart while keeping your palms facing one another. Then, relax your shoulders and extend your spine and neck. Finally, arch your back while gazing forward and reaching for the sun.

Flat Back

Start with the Full Sitting Mountain technique then lean forward from the hips and exhale while maintaining a straight, extended neck and spine. Raise your hands toward the floor. If you suffer from hypertension, keep your arms at your knees and you head lifted.

Lunge

Start by placing your hands on your knees. Then, lift your sternum and shift your shoulders back as you inhale, thus expanding your chest and extending your spine. Slowly slide back your right foot approximately six inches so that it rests on the ball. Finally, slightly lift your chin as you gaze forward.

Plank

Begin with the Lunge pose and slide back your left foot around six inches so that it is parallel with your right foot. Place pressure on the balls of your feet and engage the thigh and abdominal muscles. Next, lift your sternum and extend your arms in front of your chest while flexing the hands at the wrists. Slowly exhale as you move forward from your hips and press your hands to an imaginary wall.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. 

Improving Core Strength with Yoga: Crow Pose crow pose

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Bakasana, or Crow Pose, is a Yoga arm balance that alleviates Carpel Tunnel Syndrome as it strengthens and stretches out the wrists, forearms and shoulders. This is a wonderful pose to include in your Yoga practice if you spend a lot of time typing on the computer, playing tennis or swinging a golf club. This accessible arm balance also releases tension throughout the thoracic spine in the upper back area, improves balance and greatly increases abdominal strength over time. Crow Pose is optimally practiced after a series of Sun Salutations and standing Yoga asanas. It is traditionally practiced prior to backbends, inversions and seated poses. 

When you are adequately warmed up and are ready to practice Bakasana, you may wish to place a folded blanket or towel a foot or two in front of you on your Yoga mat in case you tip over when you are attempting to lift off your mat in Crow Pose! Most Yoga practitioners find it to be challenging at first to maintain their balance and equilibrium in Crow Pose. If you are just beginning to learn to practice this posture, placing a folded blanket in front of you and a Yoga block horizontally on your mat a foot or so behind you will help you to “lift off” more easily and hopefully with less trepidation! 

* Bakasana or Crow Pose

To begin your practice of Crow Pose, balance on a Yoga block if you are using one, or simply balance on your mat with the inner edges of your feet touching and your heels slightly raised. Keeps your knees comfortably far apart, just wider than the width of your shoulders. Place your hands on the mat several inches in front of your feet. Keep your hands in line with your shoulders. With an inhale, lean forward onto your hands and raise your legs off the mat and rest your shines on the upper backsides of your arms. 

Take a moment and play with the balance. Can you feel when you are tipping too far forward? Likewise, can you feel when you are leaning too far backward and gravity pulls your legs back down to the Yoga mat? As you play with finding the sweet spot that allows you to balance your shins comfortably on your upper arms with your feet raised off the mat, remember to keep a steady gaze point or drishti in front of you on the floor. This steady point of concentration will help to stabilize your balance. 

If you find it difficult to maintain your balance with both of your feet elevated off of the Yoga mat, try lifting just one foot at a time off the mat. This preliminary action will help to teach your body how to balance in the posture as the muscles in your arms, shoulders and abdominal area are strengthened. The primary action in this Yoga pose is one of flexion as your knees bend in towards your abdomen, your back rounds and your shoulders blades move away from the back of your spine and toward your Heart Chakra. 

In order to increase your sense of solidity and balance in Crow Pose, use the energy of opposing forces to enhance your stability by squeezing your legs firmly against your upper arms, while your arms simultaneously apply consistent pressure against your shins. The combination of the movement of pulling your legs in toward the center of your body while holding the weight of your body off of your Yoga mat with your arms is the key sequence of movements in the posture that increases abdominal strength.

Additionally, your balance and strength will improve in this posture if you root down firmly into your Yoga mat with your hands as you simultaneously push the mat away from you with your palms. If you are an intermediate Yoga practitioner and you would like to further increase the abdominal strengthening benefits of Bakasana, you may wish to come out of the pose by jumping directly back into Plank Pose and flowing into the next asana from Plank. Practice Crow Pose three times at your own pace, and then either rest in Child’s Pose or jump back into Plank Pose and continue with your practice of the next Yoga asana. 

© Copyright 2014 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

How Yoga Teacher Training Online Helps Busy Students

By Faye Martins

Just because you're ready to take the next step in your yoga practice and undergo teacher training doesn't mean that you can just quit your life and devote all of your time to your teacher training. This is one of the main reasons why so many aspiring yoga instructors opt to take their yoga teacher training online. No matter how hectic or busy your schedule, you can find a way to fit in your training if it's through an online course. Here's how taking your yoga instructor training through an online course can be perfect for busy students.

Flexible Hours - If you choose to undergo standard teacher training, you'll generally be required to stick to a regular in-person class schedule. If you have a busy schedule, making your classes on time and regularly each week can be burdensome. Furthermore, since most teacher training programs require that you complete a set amount of hours in a set amount of time, missing too many classes can lead to you needing to retake your program altogether. This can be a waste of money and time, which is one of the reasons why online training programs are so great.

Perfect For Parents - If you have kids at home, you don't need to let that stop you from pursuing your teacher certification. If you undergo your teacher training through an internet program, you can easily complete your coursework while your kids entertain themselves in the other room. This rids you of the need to find a babysitter or a daycare program for when you're in class.

Train On The Go - When you undergo training online, your classroom is anywhere where you have a computer and an internet connection. This means that you can get classwork done on the go by using your laptop. This is perfect for full-time students or employees who want to get work done during their lunch break or their commute. This flexibility allows anyone, no matter how busy his or her schedule, to pursue their yoga instructor certification.

Work At Your Own Pace - If you have a hectic schedule, you might find that some weeks are extremely busy, while others might be more relaxed. Online programs allow students to work at their own pace. This means that if you know that you'll be swamped until the weekend, you can put off completing your coursework until this time. Similarly, if you get a little unexpected free time, you can do some extra work to get ahead so that you'll have less to do later in the week.

No busy schedule or hectic life circumstances should prevent anyone from becoming a yoga instructor. No matter how chaotic your life is, online programs allow anyone to pursue their passion for yoga, and transition from their current career to a rewarding job as a professional yoga instructor. Once you've completed training, you'll be able to turn your love of yoga into your full-time job. Namaste.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. 

Why Online Yoga Certification Programs Are Becoming More Popular

By Faye Martins

The popularity of yoga has spread throughout the world. Young and old people are readily seeking the benefits that yoga can bring to both their bodies and minds. The growing need for more yoga instructors around the world in both urban and rural areas has led to an increase in the popularity of online yoga certification programs.

While it's true that anyone can practice yoga, instructors tend to opt for certificates because it helps their students feel more confident in choosing them. It lets them rest assured that their teacher knows the proper poses, the correct safety procedures and understands the core principles of yoga.

This tends to be what makes certain yoga teachers favored over others, especially in an urban environment where there may be hundreds of practicing yoga instructors at any given time.

Yoga certification courses can vary widely in what they teach. They can encompass a generalized set of poses and core principles, or they can lean towards a specialized set of asanas and meditation exercises that lean towards goals like self-discovery and humbleness. This only reinforces the belief that there are many different types of yoga programs out there, which makes it important to spend an adequate amount of time learning about each of the different types before choosing one to learn.

Yoga certification programs are important to undergo regardless of if a prospective teacher wishes to open their own yoga practice or to become a trainer at an institute. Institutes like gyms and yoga schools check applicants for yoga certifications before hiring them.

The main problem with acquiring a yoga certification is that it tends to be extremely costly. Learning from someone in an institution on how to instruct yoga requires hefty tuition fees and showing up every day for classes. Even distance learning programs tend to be costly, as they require a qualified instructor to evaluate the student's progress before reporting back to an institute.

This gives rise to one unique solution that takes advantage of the many types of yoga that exist: online yoga certification programs. They can be used to cut costs while being taken as a person finds time to do so. This makes them perfect for people with busy or hectic schedules that would otherwise be unable to gain their yoga certification any other way.

The one thing to be wary of when searching for online yoga instructor courses is that the program needs to be recognized by yoga institutes. This ensures that the online program is adequate in the amount of instruction that it gives.

Regardless of the method that one chooses to undergo to obtain their yoga certification, there is a considerable amount of work involved in getting it. Many recognized yoga certification programs require a minimum of 200 hours for an instructor to be considered competent, while some require upwards of 500 hours for specialty certifications that include teaching prenatal and child yoga students.

The rewards of undergoing a recognized yoga course is well worth the effort required to complete them. They provide the instructors with countless benefits that students and institutes are able to quickly recognize while ensuring that the yoga instructors have the proper knowledge required to handle instructing students. Certification courses are a requirement for anyone who wants to build a career in that field, regardless of if they plan to do so at a recognized institute or in a practice of their own.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA.  To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

Tips On Finding The Right Power Yoga Instructor Certification Program

By Faye Martins

Whether you have always had a passion for fitness, exercise and your health, or if you simply enjoy helping others to take more control over their own bodies, considering a career as a power Yoga instructor is one solution that can help you to live a life that is more personally satisfying and fulfilling. Learning more about how to find the right power Yoga instructor certification program for you can ultimately give you more control over your own life while allowing you to reach and impact others' each day throughout the course of your workday.

Local and Online Power Yoga Certifications Programs

Finding the right power Yoga instructor certification program for you greatly depends on whether you want to complete the program within a traditional environment such as a classroom, or if you prefer to work on your own online using your own computer. When you choose to search online for a power Yoga program that is right for you, it is possible to not only compare prices and course duration, but also course lessons and topics that will be covered before you complete the training yourself.

Course Requirements

Most training programs to become a power Yoga instructor requires students to complete 200 hours of training sessions, involving lessons, quizzes and various research papers. Many courses and programs that are available today are also able to provide time to practice Yoga and studio space for upcoming teachers to study in throughout the completion of the certification program itself.

What You Will Learn

When you choose to work to become a power Yoga instructor, you will learn everything from the study of basic and advanced postures to the fundamentals of assisting clients and others while positioning and learning new postures themselves. Understanding the meanings and the Sanskirt names of postures and their history is also covered in a power Yoga instructor certification program.

Throughout the course of your instructor certification program, you will also learn more about the philosophy of Yoga, ethics for Yoga teachers and even the business aspect to running your own Yoga studio or working with clients each day. Learning about methods of teaching and instructing postures, correcting students and understanding various styles of teaching is also included when completing your instructor certification program for power Yoga.

Understanding more in-depth about Pranayama and Ujayi breathing and their benefits is essential when you choose to work as a power Yoga instructor. You will also learn more about the powerful short and long-term effects that Yoga has to offer, which can be translated and taught to your own class of students or pupils. Understanding different methods of communicating with students, working in groups and even in individual settings is also taught when you are enrolled in a traditional power Yoga instructor program.

Taking the time you become certified as a power Yoga instructor is a way for you to not only learn more about Yoga itself, techniques and styles you enjoy, but it is also a way for you to take even more control over your physical body and mind at all times. The more time and effort you spend in searching for the right instructor certification program, the easier it becomes to select the course or educational institution that is fitting for you and any career you see for yourself in the future.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA.  To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/yoga-community/

Spring Ayurvedic Detox Diet for the Kapha Dosha

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed     

The Ayurvedic system of health and healing began to be systematically compiled approximately 5,000 years ago in Northern India. It is considered to be the sister science to the practice of Yoga. When Ayurvedic techniques and recommendations are combined with a consistent practice of Yoga asanas, pranayama exercises and meditation, a Yoga practitioner is greatly supported in creating and maintaining a state of vibrant good health and well-being. 

According to Ayurvedic guidelines, spring is a great time to cleanse the entire body of toxins that may have accumulated throughout the winter months. Often, we eat heavy, more tamasic foods during the wintertime. Come spring, we may find that we have even put on a few extra pounds! This is especially true for those of us who are predominantly Kapha in nature. The term “Kapha” refers to one of the three doshas or body/mind constellations according to Ayurveda. The other two doshas are Pitta, which is imbued by the fire element, and Vata, which is ruled by the air element.

When a Kapha individual is balanced, he or she is steady, strong, peaceful, loyal and serene. When a Kapha dosha individual is out-of-balance, he or she may experience lethergy, procrastination, excess weight and even depression. As new life begins to bloom around us, very naturally we want to cleanse our homes, wardrobes and bodies.  The softness of the air and the increasing light support us in releasing heavier thoughts, ways of being and dietary habits. In addition to a spring detoxification diet, daily exercise out in the sunshine, engaging in new experiences and rising with the sun will all support a Kapha in feeling light, energized, strong, and healthy. 

Ayurvedic physicians recommend that all doshas reduce the consumption of ama-producing or stagnating and toxic foods throughout the year, especially during a spring detox diet. Examples of ama-producing foods are meat, processed food and fast food. The recommended diets for Kaphas during a spring detox diet are bean-based soups, leafy and bitter greens, steamed vegetables and easily digested whole grains. 

It is also recommended that Kaphas include digestive herbs and spices in their detox diet plan. According to Ayurveda, some of the most highly recommended spices for Kaphas to include during a springtime detox diet and throughout the course of the year are fenugreek, fennel, coriander, turmeric and ginger. Including these spices into your daily diet will help to facilitate thorough digestion, alkalize your body and promote greater enzyme production; thereby stimulating more energy, fire and a sense of peaceful lightness and well-being. 

© Copyright 2013 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see find out more about yoga or see our selection of affordable yoga instructor certification programs, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!

Importance of Yoga for Men's Holistic Health

By Shahid Mishra

With time, yoga has become a female dominated activity. Modern advertising photographs display young and trim female participants in bikinis practicing physically difficult asanas. As an old man, I cannot complain, but this is far different from the male dominated Yoga some Indians practiced, when we were a colony of Great Britain.

Yoga is the oldest method of all existing health maintenance systems. Originally practiced by the ancient yogis in India, it is very important to know the value of yoga and how to properly perform each technique. The saints and ancient yogis performed yoga to control the body, mind and spirit, which they believed could be controlled by many various arts. One of these arts or aspects of modern yoga is the art of asana, which is nothing more than various postures of yogic tradition. Although, mantra, pranayama, meditation and mudra are also arts, people have to be reminded of their significance.

Yoga consists of these different arts that help in the development of physical, mental and spiritual health and also help to improve one's lifestyle through the continual training, practice and control. In order to control one’s mind, one needs to have proper health and should be relaxed enough to know how to manage his daily activities, while keeping the daily stress level under control. This will not only help a man to deal his problems effectively but also helps in maintaining a good personal relationship with his family and friends since his mind is free of various outward stress and tension. When all of these are under control, one can easily attain spirituality.

There are various benefits of practicing yoga regularly as it helps in improving the physical health, improves the mind, enhances the spine's flexibility, tones the muscles, and provides a great sense of relaxation. Each of the asana in yoga is done in proper procedure and in steps, in a very slow and comfortable manner. While each of these steps are done, there is a proper coordination in the breath along with concentration and relaxation. Yoga teaches us how to control your breath and you can reap various benefits from it. It helps in dealing with insomnia, fatigue, diabetes, blood pressure and various other ailments and diseases.

There are various arts within the yogic practices, and these can be attained only through constant study, practice, and control of breath. The word asana also means the mastery of sitting still (Paulji refers to this concept as rooting). No matter in what posture you are holding, which is familiar to you or something that is new and difficult for others who haven’t practiced yoga, you can still root into it comfortably through the art of controlling your breath and the expansion of consciousness

The arts of yoga are now widely spread, as all people are more conscious about their health and fitness. Before practicing any yogic movements or postures, one should familiarize it with the help of a yoga teacher who is well trained and aware of the consequences of doing it wrong and proper method of doing it tight, for all postures may not suit everyone. As certain asanas are restricted for those who have health issues and have undergone surgeries.

© Copyright 2013 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see find out more about yoga or see our selection of affordable yoga instructor training courses, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!