Yoga Articles

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Thursday, 5th June 2008 @ 3:05 PM

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. The most important thing to remember, as a yoga teacher, is that you are helping to shape the well-being of your students, through your instruction. Respect the place that you occupy as a t... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Thursday, 5th June 2008 @ 1:58 PM

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. Cancer does not discriminate, and strikes young and old with impunity. The good thing about yoga is that it offers an appropriate therapy, exercise program, and even life path, for anyone young, old, or in between. The benefits go far beyond improved flexibility and relaxation. Yoga sets cancer su... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Thursday, 5th June 2008 @ 1:53 PM

Among Yoga teachers, there is a common thread, which we may refer to as a "calling" toward teaching classes. A passion stirs inside each one of us to become a yoga teacher because we see how much the Yogic path has helped us personally. We see what a difference Yoga can make in any person's life. Let's consider what factors motivate people to go to work. We might be able to boil these prime motivations down into three groups. The desire for money, status, and passion, ar... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Thursday, 5th June 2008 @ 1:41 PM

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. Recent studies show that regular yoga practice can have an extraordinary effect on relieving the stiffness and agony of chronic back pain. Yoga provides relief from back pain in several different ways. This has to do with the way the spine is affected by the alignment and function of ... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Thursday, 5th June 2008 @ 1:35 PM

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. We need to find our way back to a healthy, fit form. Yoga cannot entirely replace the benefits of regular aerobic activity, such as walking, but yoga can provide the basis for a healthier lifestyle. What Hollywood and the "get skinny quick" master minds of modern marketing would have y... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Jewel Kessler @ Tuesday, 3rd June 2008 @ 9:55 PM

Turbaned gurus, sing-song mantras and bodily contortions . . . the promise of true enlightenment and omphaloskepsis (contemplation of the naval) completes the cliche. But don't knock yoga till you've tried it, and then only with respect. Yoga means to bind together -- variously joining sun and moon, left and right, male and female, and any number of yins and yangs -- through ascetic techniques of meditation and exercise. The goal is physical and mental balance. Indian Ha... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Saturday, 31st May 2008 @ 5:24 AM

Anyone can practice yoga and not eat a specific diet. Yet, 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. Discussions about yoga, and yoga benefits, are mostly centered on the movements of the practice. The focus on holistic nutrition is often swept aside. Yet, this is an essential element of whole body health. In a society where pre-packaged foods are easier... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Saturday, 31st May 2008 @ 5:06 AM

There are times when Yoga students are temporarily struggling with negative thoughts. This happens to many people because moods can change over the course of hours, days, or weeks. There are also times, when some people have a natural negative default mechanism in their thinking. For Yoga students to see reality, and experience self-worth, they must develop their awareness skills. A person who is constantly negative may not even realize it. For anyone to change, they must first be ... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Saturday, 31st May 2008 @ 4:54 AM

If you think, for a second, that there are enough Yoga instructors available already - think again. Each geographic area has different needs, but optimum health is needed everywhere. When looking at the needs of students with Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis, Parkinson's disease, Ataxia, and students who are recovering from a stroke, this need is only the "tip of the iceberg." The need for instructors, who can teach Yogic health maintenance, from a chair, goes far deeper ... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Friday, 30th May 2008 @ 9:37 PM

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. Reach a competent level in your own practice before taking the step to instruct others. A strict set of guidelines, for the certification of yoga instructors, has yet to be established in the United States. The implications of this situation are many. What it means, essent... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Friday, 30th May 2008 @ 9:34 PM

What exactly is Yoga therapy, and what are its origins? Should a Yoga teacher consider becoming a Yoga therapist? Where will Yogic therapy go in the future? If we look at a simplistic definition of what Yoga therapy is, it might be described as: A Yogic practice, which uses breathing techniques (pranayama), postures (asanas), hygienic duties (kriyas), proper diet, meditation, and many more methods, which treat mental, emotional, and physical ailments. The origin of Yoga is, at leas... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Friday, 30th May 2008 @ 10:34 AM

Yoga instructors need to work closely with diabetic students in order to maximize the health advantages from yoga. Recent findings reveal the many positive effects that yoga has on diabetes. Yoga cannot "cure" diabetes, but there are several ways yoga can be beneficial in controlling diabetes. If medically prescribed regimens are followed by diabetic students, they can safely add yoga to their treatment. Due to the potential impact on their glucose levels, and overall body functio... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Friday, 30th May 2008 @ 5:35 AM

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 should be a safe and healthy exercise for your arthritic students. It is the responsibility of students to communicate with their instructors, but make sure you stay observant to their difficulties. Make sure that you encourage students with arthritis to ... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Friday, 30th May 2008 @ 5:19 AM

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. The nerve is no longer protected and gets compressed. A herniated disc occurs usually from some rotational movement. Students with spinal disc herniation must be more cautious than others with any poses involving rotation of the spine. Sciatica can set i... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Tuesday, 27th May 2008 @ 9:25 AM

Reclining Big Toe Pose, which is sometimes known as "Supta Padangusthasana," may seem simple, on the surface, but this posture may require specific modifications for the student's benefit. Below is an example of modifications for Reclining Big Toe Pose. Q: My student is complaining of pain in the wrists, which lasts for days, after Yoga practice. While performing Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose), we have been using a cotton strap around the arch of the foot. Th... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Kevin Sinclair @ Tuesday, 27th May 2008 @ 9:13 AM

The practice of yoga was developed by an Indian Hindu by the name of Patanjali way back in the year 300. The word itself means discipline and the whole purpose of yoga is to stretch the muscles, increase the levels of concentration and to strengthen the body in general. It is also a great way to relax and de-stress your body. There is little wonder that such an ancient form of discipline has turned out to be so popular amongst athletes and modern day entertainers. However, yoga can be ... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Robert Kokoska @ Monday, 26th May 2008 @ 9:25 AM

Originally, the meditation techniques of yoga were developed primarily as a spiritual practice amongst the polytheist religion of Hinduism, in the Indian sub-continent, around 6000 years ago. In India, or to devout Hindus, success in yoga would ultimately mean that they have escaped the birth and rebirth cycle and become an immortal soul. Today, especially in western countries, the practice of yoga is associated with the benefits that can be derived from standard meditation and its exercises, as... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Koz Huseyin @ Monday, 26th May 2008 @ 1:45 AM

In the west, medicines in pill form are becoming something that people now want alternatives. Now today people are becoming inclined to holistic alternative medicines. This is great as it means that people can get well in a healthier way than giving the body unknown medications. Yoga is one such way that is proving to provide benefits which many other medicines can't claim. Medicines generally have some form of side effect, though these effects maybe small; they no doubt put somethin... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Monday, 26th May 2008 @ 12:23 AM

As Yoga has grown, outside of India, so have the many contemporary styles. Among the contemporary styles is Christian Yoga. Just mentioning the words, Christian and Yoga in the same phrase, could start a controversy, depending upon who is listening. Some fundamentalist Christians will state that Yoga and meditation are evil. To go a bit further on this issue, they point to the traditional roots of Yoga, in India, and the connection to Hindu beliefs. They claim that the millions of Yoga pr... more...

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Thursday, 22nd May 2008 @ 11:53 PM

Are you looking for an alternative method, instead of a prescription, for your stressed-out teenager, at home? If you have researched natural methods to lower the levels of anxiety, and stress - Yoga is probably a top consideration, by now. Before you make any quick decisions, you should discuss your options with your primary care or family physician. If you do not like what you hear, you can always get a second or third opinion. Sometimes, a prescription is a solution, but prescriptions ... more...