Yoga Teacher Training: Menstrual Cramps

By Sangeetha Saran

During your yoga teacher training course, you start to research many ailments.  This is only the beginning of your research as teaching yoga is a lifelong marathon of intellectual proportions.  Among the many ailments humans have is menses.  Every month, women are blessed with the gift of a new menstrual cycle. Although it truly is a gift to be able to bring life into the world, many see it as more of an inconvenient, annoying or even painful curse. The severity of menstrual cramps varies greatly from woman to woman. 

Some women hardly experience discomfort while others cannot go about a normal routine without some type of remedy. These women are likely to reach for medication to help ease pain and discomfort of menstrual cramps. Yoga poses can provide a natural way to help relieve the cramping and bloating brought on each month. 

As a result of the hormones surging through the body, many women feel tired, irritable, hungry and uneasy during their menstrual cycles. Sometimes the cravings for salty, fatty and generally unhealthy foods are too strong to resist, but indulging on the couch with a bag of potato chips can actually make the cramps worse. 

Eating a healthy diet, drinking lots of water and releasing stress and anxiety will help ease menstrual cramps. Yoga is a gentle way to stretch and tone the entire body, relieve stress, and take quiet time for yourself. There are several specific asanas that I learned during my yoga teacher training at Aura Wellness Center can prevent or lessen the discomfort of menstrual cramps.

Hero Pose

Sit on your knees, with your feet tucked under your bottom. Slide your inner knees together and allow the feet to rest on the sides of your hips with the tops of the feet resting on the floor. Keep the upper body tall with a straight spine. Place the hands on top of the thighs. Breathe and relax for several minutes.

Camel Pose

You can transition from the hero pose into camel pose by coming up onto the knees. Place your palms on your lower back with your fingers pointing down. Lean your upper body back, allowing the head and neck to fall back. Rest your hands on your ankles. Hold for about 30 seconds or longer.

Child’s Pose

Release the camel pose by bringing your bottom back down to rest on your heels. Fold your upper body down, resting it on the mat in front of you. Rest your forehead on the mat. Stretch your arms out in front of you, palms flat, or rest them at your sides with your fingers pointing behind you.

In each of the yoga postures, take deep breaths that fill up the entire abdomen and chest cavity. Slowly release the air before inhaling again through the nose. Allow the breath to calm the mind and reenergize your spirit.

Yoga Teacher Notes

Rapid or forceful pranayama is not suggested during menses, but Viloma and Ujjayi are recommended.  During yoga teacher training, you may have asked why inversions are not recommended.  Suffice to say: Let gravity handle the natural flow.  There is a strong belief in Ayurvedic circles that inversions during one’s period contribute to fibroids or worse.  Some female teachers have taken an extremist stance, and told male teachers to mind their own business about this issue.  

As a female yoga teacher, I am all for women’s rights, but some of us have alienated most of the male yoga instructors who could have presented valuable research.  In summation, I feel you can do what you like, but until I see medical research that says inversions are 100% fine during menstruation, I’ll avoid the risk.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Teaching Yoga to Children

By Faye Martins

As a Yoga instructor, the ability to calm children in our classes seems magical at times, but even more rewarding is the feedback from parents about better grades in school and improved behavior at home.

A yogic practice brings great benefits to body, mind, and spirit. Everyone can practice; there are no special qualifications or requirements to begin and no philosophical path you must follow. Children in particular can benefit greatly from the practice of yoga. While much of the world, even for children, has become hyper-competitive and highly regimented, the yoga studio is a sanctuary where every student can slow down, breathe, and move at their own pace.

Expectations for children are especially high these days, with full-time schooling starting at ever younger ages and organized activities taking up much of what was once free time. Many children have trouble sitting quietly and paying attention for such long periods of time, which can lead to acting out and behavioral issues. Yoga helps kids learn to calm themselves and how to focus when they need to. Kids also need time to play, to explore, to burn off energy, and to just “be”, and classes are a wonderful place to do all of these things, and more.

For some children, school and extracurricular activities are difficult and sometimes frightening situations and they struggle to find a place of peace under such circumstances. A yoga teacher should encourage an atmosphere that is by nature noncompetitive and nonjudgmental; there are no tests, no cliques, and a child's only competition is to improve gradually. Yoga class can be a safe haven for kids who have felt left behind socially or academically, and the feelings of success and accomplishment that they get from participating in classes will carry on to all aspects of their life.

Sedentary pastimes such as television watching and video gaming are the preferred activities for many children. Kids generally overflow with of energy and need physical activity to get that out of their system. Yoga class is a great way to get kids engaged in something that doesn’t require the television or computer, and regular physical exercise will free them of the pent-up energies that are so difficult for kids (and parents) to manage.

Children need to exercise both their mind and their body to stay calm, in balance, and focus on building skills for life. It takes some practice to know how to make the right choices, but with any luck, children who learn these skills early on will grow up to be adults who are healthier and more at peace and yoga can play an important part in this process.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Teaching Yoga for Arm Strength and Shape

By Faye Martins

Yoga is an excellent way to strengthen and tone the arms. Unlike weightlifting, which focuses mainly on isotonic strength building, yoga focuses on isometric work but includes isotonic and eccentric exercises. Isotonic exercise is performed when a weight is lifted or a muscle is engaged while it is contracting; isometric work occurs when a position or a weight is held, supported by a muscle, and eccentric strength building is what happens when a weight is lowered while maintaining control and muscle engagement. In other words, supporting weight even while the muscle is lengthening performs eccentric exercise. Obviously, these types of strength all have different real life applications, and they all stress different parts and functions of the muscle. Yoga is unique in its repeated and challenging exercise of all types of strength.

Because of this balanced approach, practitioners of yoga often report that the bulk doesn't pile on, but functional strength and definition greatly increases. The functional strength is granted by the many ways in which the muscles are trained, as most real life activities are going to require more than a single way of moving. The definition in lieu of bulk results from the way the muscles are constantly engaged and challenged without steadily increasing the weight they support. Yoga calls upon the muscles to work in different positions; intensities and ways without ever demanding the load they bear exceed the practitioner's body weight.

There are many different poses and routines a yoga practitioner may employ to build arm strength and shape. For the beginner, whether just starting out in yoga or unsure of her strength, downward dog is the place to start. Bending at the hips and placing the hands perform downward dog position and feet shoulder length apart so the body forms an upside-down "V." The arms in this position support less than half the body weight, but the practitioner's weight can be shifted to engage the arms more. It is the foundation of many yoga routines, particularly sun salutations.

When teaching new yoga students, make them aware that for a beginning position with a greater strength component, look no further than the plank. It is a basic push-up position and an intense workout for all the muscles of the arms. At the advanced end of the scale, there are many positions based on headstands that not only require lots of balance and flexibility but also support most or all of the body's weight on the arms. Many more positions lie waiting to be learned at your local yoga center and in many great yoga books, but almost any regular yoga practice will sculpt your arms into envious shape.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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The Perseverance of Teaching Yoga

The Perseverance of Teaching Yoga

By Paul Jerard


Why do talented students fall short of becoming a Yoga teacher?

Ever notice that “quick flashes” of brilliance disappear in a short time. Take for example, the super flexible Yoga student who can do a split in every direction, and make a pretzel, or circle, out of his, or her, body on the first Yoga class. Usually, this student will leave after the first class saying, “Is that all there is to Yoga?”

As most of us know there is so much more to Yoga than mere flexibility, but how do you make a student aware of this in his or her first Yoga class? Do you really want to try? Some Yoga teachers jump through “flaming hoops” to appease a potential student who has natural flexibility. This happens much to the dismay of dedicated and established Yoga students who have been training for years.

So what is the problem and why do we worship exceptional flexibility and physical prowess? The problem stems from the Yoga teacher who has forgotten what the prime ingredient is within the exceptional Yoga student. That ingredient is “perseverance” and that is what separates the “flash in the pan” from the Yoga student who may well evolve into a Yoga teacher. The student who shows up to Yoga class and tries to do his, or her, best should never be taken for granted.

Perseverance is a true guarantee of success for Yoga students and Yoga teachers alike. When you think about your life, perseverance has always played a major role in your past achievements. How many people will tell you that teaching Yoga is not a good career move? Plenty will, but you must have the fortitude and perseverance to pursue your own desire, in the first place.

In order to make any achievement, you need a formula for success. Here is a list of ingredients that you must have in order to succeed at teaching Yoga or anything else in life. Firstly, you need desire and passion to become a Yoga teacher. If you don’t have it, that’s no problem, just find something that you feel passionate about. Do not waste time pursuing any goal without passion.

Secondly you must have a dream that you can visualize. If you can picture yourself teaching Yoga, and feel the joy of your journey, you are fine. However, if you cannot see yourself becoming a Yoga teacher, it just might not be your “calling.” Whatever the goals you choose to pursue in life, you will need both desire and the ability to visualize your dreams, in order to proceed to the next step.

The third ingredient is to take action. The difference between a dream and a goal is how much action is propelling the idea forward. If I visualize becoming a Yoga teacher without any action, then this is just a “pipe dream.” You would be better off to dream in your sleep and take action while you are awake.

Look around you and you will see most people do not make any significant changes or take positive action. If you want to teach Yoga, this is to your advantage. Why do I say this? So many people passionately talk and dream without action. Even after you become a Yoga teacher, you must still take action, but many people “rest on their laurels.” A few Yoga teachers skip their continuing education, become stale, and eventually quit.

How can this happen? Because Yoga teachers and everyone else should write down goals, make plans, and keep taking action. This is not that difficult, but sitting down and dreaming is easier. The biggest difference between those who think about becoming a Yoga teacher and those who become a Yoga teacher is action. Determination and perseverance do count against all the odds.

The last ingredient toward successfully teaching Yoga is to maintain your own personal practice and continue your education on Yogic subjects as they apply to your students. Learn more about safety, anatomy, kinesiology, physiology, sports medicine, modifications, props, and physical therapy. Network with medical professionals and you will learn more. Learn about Yogic philosophy for yourself and for those Yoga students who are eager to learn from you.

This is what I refer to as the “monitoring stage.” You cannot expect your ability to improve as a Yoga teacher to run on “auto-pilot.” You still have to write down and reach for goals.

Again, perseverance comes into play. For every Yoga teacher I know, perseverance has become a way of life. This is the way it must be in an ever-changing and fast paced world. Your dreams may not go according to plan bur perseverance is your private mental strength. When you teach Yoga classes, you must address the needs of your students and this causes self-improvement.

The rewards for Yoga teachers are many, but giving Yoga instruction requires determination. You will run into obstacles, like any other profession, but how do you want to be remembered? Think about this: Every person you help will help someone else. You are causing a positive chain reaction by teaching Yoga classes at a time when positive energy is in big demand.

As a Yoga teacher, you have the potential to do enormous good, but you must focus your attention on your faithful Yoga students, your family, and friends. It is normal to take people we are familiar with for granted, but you must persevere to appreciate what you already have.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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If you are a Yoga Teacher, 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, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul
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Secrets of Exceptional Yoga Teachers, Part 2

Secrets of Exceptional Yoga Teachers, Part 2

By Paul Jerard

Professional and responsible Yoga teachers become exceptional Yoga teachers. The Yoga teacher who shows up late for class, is disorganized, and does not have a hint of lesson plan in his or her head, will not be successful. As a Yoga teacher, your conduct should be professional at all times. You cannot “act like a Yoga teacher” during a class and then provoke conflicts outside of your classes.

Yoga instructors need to have problem solving skills, as not all bodies are the same. Some students will require a bit more “maintenance,” than others. You are a living and breathing guide to Yoga’s many aspects. You will be asked to explain the physical, mental, and possibly the spiritual benefits of Yoga. As a result, you will become a better Yoga teacher than you imagined.

The responsibility just comes with leadership and being self-employed. An independent mind-set is ingrained through the daily routine of handling your own affairs. You are in charge of your own finances, health, career, and more.

Being willing to adapt and evolve is a key component to teaching Yoga. Now more than ever Yoga and healing information is being exchanged at the speed of the Internet. You must absorb information in regard to Yoga, physical therapy, ailments, physiology, anatomy, kinesiology, and sports medicine.

Therefore, you may want to learn how to speed read or listen to audio books. Your Yoga lesson plans will evolve, when you learn new methods for safety, modifications, and how to help Yoga students with ailments.

Planning and preparation are a part of each day, as you get ready for each Yoga class. You must also write down your daily, weekly, monthly, and annual goals. This will propel you to a level of Yoga teaching beyond your “wildest dreams.” This method is a matter of positive visualization and using positive energy for the good of those you come into contact with. You will be shocked to see your written goals become reality, but written goals do come true quite often.

Setting a pace is a matter of being reasonable with yourself and those around you. This may sound strange, but I have seen Yoga teachers push themselves too far. Life is a journey, not a race, and the rewards of pacing yourself will be plentiful, if you allow yourself the time to “stop and smell the flowers.”

Ambition is the final key, but based upon what I have already said, all aspirations should be “kept in check.” Never look at life from a linear viewpoint. Enjoy your loved ones and friends, as you work toward becoming an exceptional Yoga teacher. This will be your holistic path to success.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Secrets of Exceptional Yoga Teachers, Part 1

Secrets of Exceptional Yoga Teachers, Part 1

By Paul Jerard

Would you like to know a formula for becoming an exceptional Yoga teacher? What separates the exceptional Yoga teacher from the “pack?” Here is an itemized formula to become an exceptional and successful Yoga instructor.

Continuing education is part of a Yoga instructor’s job description. Although you may teach Yoga, you must accept being a student of Yoga for life. Learn what you can, to benefit your Yoga student’s ailments, and when you have time, learn a little bit more. With 5,000 years of documentation behind it, Yoga is like a great mountain where one lifetime will just not be enough to discover everything.

Patience is the next ingredient within an exceptional Yoga teacher. Be patient with yourself, your family, your friends, and your Yoga students. Do not put pressure on anyone unnecessarily. Some Yoga students have to grow into the practice. You might be unknowingly doing the same to yourself or your loved ones. The key is to become aware of it and always be mindful of others.

Take action and understand the laws of cause and effect (Karma). Most of the world takes no action at all, but exceptional Yoga teachers do not “sit on their hands.” Just by taking action, you will be a success in life. Great ideas mean nothing without action, but your actions should always help others. It is fine to help yourself, just make sure you are not harming anything in the process.

Compassion is needed to become an exceptional Yoga teacher. You must show compassion for Yoga students and for mankind. Treat everyone possible with loving kindness. When this is impossible avoid negative people who seek pleasure through spreading pessimism, bigotry, hatred, greed, and envy.

Passion for Yoga and for helping other people can be found in most Yoga teachers. The Yoga teacher who just “does it for the money,” will not last. If you feel like that, you should find your “real calling,” passion, and true desires. Life is too short to waste time doing a job that you dread. Strangely, I have never met a Yoga teacher who regretted teaching Yoga. If I ever find one, I will let you know.

Courage is required to be your own boss. To wake up each morning and go it alone, without someone over your shoulder is a Yoga teacher’s life reward. Most of the masses like to be told what to do, but the Yoga teacher makes his or her own hours. There is some responsibility that goes with any business, but every Yoga teacher knows the responsibility is worth it.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Yoga in Practice
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Teaching Yoga for College Credit

By Cynthia L. Marshall, Ph.D.

Recently, in my college credit class, Yoga II, which studies Ashtanga, the students handed in their papers concerning the changes which they see in their lives which they feel are linked to their intensive study of yoga.

Here are some excerpts from my students' papers:

Yoga changes you from the inside out.

Since practicing yoga, I'm willing to try more foods and eat healthier foods.

Yoga has changed my social nature. . . I have been trying not to just lash out. I have also done a lot of different things for people without receiving credit.

(Megan, 21 years of age)

I feel this semester's poses and workouts have also changed my physical body from the inside.
I think Yoga has also taught me to be positive about my future and teaching as a new career.
I used to worry about everything. I just think now, what can I do? It might not happen, why worry?

(Tina, 35 years of age)

As a yoga teacher within a college setting, I set goals for my students. They write papers, do oral reports, and create models/lessons for yoga class. In terms of grading, I concern myself mainly with their accomplishing the goal, not creating a quality judgment about the goal. Recently, I asked my yoga students to create an art work, a collage, a sculpture, a photo montage, or drawing in which they depicted their yoga journey. I was amazed at the outpouring of creativity.
Not one student said, "I am not an artist." All created sensitive portraits and concepts in a different medium. One student sculpted a lotus blossom out of clay with round seeds which she said were symbols of her different learning experiences in yoga.

At my college, yoga is a three credit course, not a one credit physical education course.
I can't express how fulfilling it is to see the students growing in terms of their practice, how smooth and graceful they have become, how their writing has improved, and now their art work has been an integral part of class.

The teaching of yoga and meditation in a college class is something I wish all could experience, both yoga teachers and students.

Cynthia L. Marshall, Ph.D.
Professor of English and Yoga
1-800-335-0222 ext. 134

Mommy and Me Yoga - Benefits for Life

By Paul Jerard

What can children and parents gain from practicing Yoga together? When should I start teaching Yoga to my son or daughter? What about Mommy and Me classes? Let’s cover a bit of ground, and establish some realistic expectation for parents and children.

What can children and parents gain from practicing Yoga together? “The sky is the limit,” as they say. Children and parents need more bonding time. We need to eat together and find activities that solidify our relationships. Mommy and Me Yoga classes offer a chance for families to bond, while children are impressionable.

Like any activity, Yoga can be practiced at an early age. As long as Yoga practice is supervised, and the teacher is knowledgeable, parent and child will benefit in many ways. Parents who have no knowledge of Yoga should consider toddler classes or the Mommy and Me Yoga classes.

Classes should be divided according to age. For example – Children who are one to two years of age could be separated from the two to four years of age group. Below twelve months of age, most children are in the watching stage.

Some babies will copy what they see, and you should never expect too much from any child. Children will learn Yoga much better in a patient environment. There should not be a deadline for the time it takes a child to learn aspects of Yoga. Children have a lifetime to learn the many benefits of Yoga. Surprisingly, most children of all ages will demonstrate Yoga techniques they learn at home.

When should I start teaching Yoga to my son or daughter Yoga? Any time is fine, as long as you make it fun. For parents, this is the beginning of learning how to guide without discouraging. Yoga will teach children life skills, such as stress reduction, anger management, goal setting, and enhance athletic ability.

What about Mommy and Me classes? If you have a Mommy and Me Yoga class in your area, it is worth signing up. Parents should let the Yoga instructor lead the class. This seems obvious, but you would be surprised how often parents can be counter productive to children’s activities.

Mommy and Me Yoga classes will contain many of the following aspects: Yoga music, kids music, singing, basic Pranayama, coloring books, theme Yoga classes, Asanas, mixing dance movement with Yoga, drawing with crayons, story telling, Yoga games, focusing drills, relaxation techniques, meditation, and lots of fun.

There are many Yoga books, DVD’s, card decks, coloring books, and Yoga music CD’s for children. With so much to choose from, a child’s attention can be harnessed for constructive purposes. The greatest benefit of all for children is the ability to control their own attention span.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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If you are a Yoga Teacher, 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, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul