...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. Here are some examples of the many pitfalls to avoid, when teaching a Yoga class.

When a student asks you a question, it is wonderful to answer it, but you want to avoid digressing, lecturing, and talking about yourself. Your students have taken the time to come to your classes because they have needs. As teachers, it is easy to get wrapped up in answering, by telling a story.

This is fine, to a point, but make sure it is a short story. Most of the class wants to progress in their practice, has a personal reason for being there, and may not appreciate our personal opinions. We want to focus on the lesson plan, at hand, and subjects related to Yoga practice.

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Bikram Yoga - Sweating You Way To Radiant Health

...g transported back to his childhood teacher. Within six months he was completely healed, and this was the first documentation that Yoga could cure serious physical conditions. In 1974 he moved to California and founded the Yoga College of India in Beverly hills. It was here that Bikram developed his unique Yoga program.

Before detailing what makes Bikram's Yoga different, it may be wise to consider the purpose of Yoga. Yoga comes from the same root as the English word "Yoke" and can be translated as "Union". Hence, Yoga is really about the Union of mind, body, and spirit. Bikram's Yoga is a type of Hatha Yoga which concentrates on the physical, or "body," element of this equation.

One difference of Bikram Yoga is that it is performed in a very hot room, usually heated between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It consists of Twenty-Six asanas (poses) that are performed in a specific order. While most Yoga classes differ from s...more

A Discussion of Yoga for Arthritis

...mina, exercise is a key element in combating the condition. People with arthritis tend to become more sedentary than the rest of the population in general, which, by the way, is having increasing problems with those outlined above AND obesity as well.

Regular moderate exercise of any kind seems to play a major role in promoting joint health, decreasing joint pain and discomfort, while reversing the problems with strength, endurance, and energy mentioned above. Regular exercise also contributes to a better sense of emotional and psychological well-being while enhancing immune system function as well.

Okay! I'm sold on exercise for arthritis, but what does yoga have to offer that other exercise programs do not?

First, let's get past the idea that you have to be incredibly flexible to do yoga. Nothing can be farther from the truth. In fact, the very attempt to execute the movement or achieve the position is one of the major factors in the efficacy of yoga. Many people who practice yoga regularly cannot perform the yoga positions seen in the pictures in books, and it is not uncommon for props and straps to be used to help others achieve something similar to the position. People of all shapes, sizes, and weights do yoga regularly, and this includes many with arthritis as well.

Having said that, yoga and arthritis go well...more

Yoga Stories - I Am Connected

...id that one retreat mean, and what ever happened to someone that during that retreat I had a strong connection with. His name was Frank. That was ten years prior, and he lived 800 miles away in Chicago, and I was in another yoga retreat site, in the woods of upstate New York. I figured I would never connect with him again. How strange to have strong connections with people and then disconnect from them I thought. What is the meaning of this?

The next morning as I walked into the yoga retreat snack bar for a coffee and chocolate, I had to turn around and...more

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