A World of Infinite Opportunities

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Many people feel that there is a limited amount of abundance, wealth, or chances to succeed in life. Further more, there is a solid belief that, if one person succeeds, another must fail. This might sometimes be true in a small company or school, where opportunity is limited, by management or the structure of an organization. 

However, the world is a big place and there are opportunities created from ideas, that help people, and no one gets hurt in the process. Below are two examples of success that have not taken anything away from anyone.

Danny Thomas: With his promise, prayers, and vision, for St. Jude’s Hospital, he received the help of friends within the Arab-American community, to build a fantastic charity. Some of us also believe he received divine help – I know, I do.

There is much more to this story, but what did this hospital or charity take away from anyone. Are the children who recover from cancer living proof that this idea and prosperity is for the pure benefit of mankind? There is no one who is hurt by this and Marlo Thomas has picked up where her father left off.

Yoga teachers: Many unfulfilled members of the work force have left their jobs to teach the benefits of Yoga to the masses. They teach their students to enjoy life, deal with stress, breathe properly, improve their posture, become aware of their bodies, and many more benefits.

Most Yoga teachers believe, that all of the great Yoga jobs are in health clubs, ashrams, and Yoga studios. Not so, in my book “How to Grow Your Own Successful Yoga Business,” I mention 16 ways to start up with little or no overhead.

Within the first chapter, there are Yoga teaching opportunities that currently exist with little or no competition. Yoga teachers who have taken this advice have become successful and prosperous. Do these jobs take food away from anyone? When someone starts a business do they take food away from another competitor?

If you believe your competition is your problem, it will be. This is limited thinking and you have to learn to think “outside the box,” to be successful in life. This is why you need to take a mandatory vacation and get fresh ideas. This is why you should take a notebook with you. I still prefer the “old fashioned,” spiral bound notebook, with a pen in hand.

Getting back to your competitors: Don’t waste time on bad thoughts. You can easily co-exist in harmony with them, become friends, and learn from them. There is enough opportunity for everyone. This should be your mantra: Observe other studios and teacher, learn from their mistakes, and when possible, copy their success.

Everyone has a niche, make sure you cultivate yours, and develop your own identity, in life. Always remember, the sky is the limit and you are only restrained by your own thoughts.

© Copyright – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Nine Things You Should Know About Yoga for Children

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Here are some guidelines and realistic expectations for parents, who are considering Yoga for their children. For your child, Yoga is much more than a kid's fitness class. Just like adults - kids need time to learn to deal with life’s daily pressures, too.

Make sure your child starts with easy postures, and be patient with your child's progress. Some beginner children can often be more flexible than advanced adult Yoga practitioners, but they don’t know their own limitations.

Discover your child's real passions. When your child wants to go to Yoga class, it is much better than what you want for your child. This is not to say that you should avoid guidance. However, it is not advisable to push a child into a Yoga class, if your child doesn't enjoy it - no matter how popular Yoga may be. All children are different, and what is good for one of your children, may not agree with another.

Encourage your child to see the deeper benefits of Yoga: Learning to live within the moment, and appreciating the present situation, instead of focusing on desires, these are built-in mental assets of Yoga practice. Enhanced concentration skills are another benefit that will result in improved academic performance.

Look for a qualified Yoga instructor, who has experience in teaching children. Make sure the child's Yoga instructor has adequate experience.

Watch your child practice, with his or her, Yoga teacher, and make sure you are comfortable with the environment, policies, and safety guidelines. Rules and discipline policies are usually in place so that each child can learn Yoga and get the most out of their experience.

For your child’s safety at home: Parents who are not familiar with Yoga, should not let their “beginner Yoga children” practice anything beyond beginner techniques, without a competent Yoga instructor's approval. Once your child’s Yoga instructor gives approval of home practice, you are fine. This one safety factor should encourage parents to learn Yoga, practice with their children, and live a healthy life.

A smaller kid’s Yoga class is actually better than a larger one. This insures that your child’s Yoga instructor can pay close attention to each student during practice session.

Price should not be the top factor in choosing your child’s Yoga teacher. Would you choose the cheapest dentist, clothes, or car? Very often, “you get what you pay for.”

Lastly, with steady practice, you should expect to see your child gradually gain self-esteem, stress management tools, self discipline, enhanced academic performance, and improved athletic skills.

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Eight Amazing Benefits of Teaching Yoga

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Every challenging occupation yields some sort of satisfaction, but the fitness professionals industry had an amazing 85% job satisfaction rate according to an Idea Health & Fitness survey.

Job Satisfaction

In the same survey, 98% of those interviewed felt that "My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment." Lack of personal satisfaction is the most frequent reason why people leave a job. These statistics make it obvious that this is an extremely harmonious atmosphere to work in.

For many of us who worked in the corporate world and shifted into the health and fitness industry, the energy felt in a health club, ashram, or wellness center is similar to being on vacation. There's always something to do, but the job itself is very gratifying.

Rewards of Helping Family, Friends, Students, and Co-workers

Your self esteem improves as you find solutions for the pain management of others, ailments, fitness, stress management, positive thinking, etc.

The list goes on, as you continue your own journey of self improvement, but the feeling of gratification you get from helping someone find the right path, is beyond words.

You will always remember: That student who reaches their ideal body weight, the physically impaired student who finds that they, too, can live a better quality life, and the student who leaves your class without the headache or backache they came in with.

Your Own Health

As a practitioner of Yoga, you have become more aware of your daily ups and downs. You monitor your breath, posture, moods, diet, and exercise on a daily basis.

As a Yoga teacher, you are setting an example to your students and teaching them to live a quality life. This path will enable you to live longer and live better.

There is no Shortage of Work

When the working world is in the "9 to 5" mode, you have many opportunities with Corporate Accounts, The Fitness Industry, Senior Centers, Medical Centers, Referrals, etc. This is when you to teach them, with any free time you have.

Once I became totally self-employed, there were more daytime off-site Yoga teaching opportunities, than I had time for, in a geographic area, that has many active Yoga teachers and studios. One of my best students, who became a Yoga teacher through our on-site program, inherited an area that I could no longer service due to time restraints.

The object is to contact them. This is where your post cards come in handy, if you don't have a personal referral.

Continuing Education

Yes, learning new things keeps your mind stimulated and healthy. You will never tire of subjects to study, explore, and investigate. There are so many facets of Yoga, that one life span, is just not enough time to learn it all.

It's not a race, but it is a journey. You will find friends, colleagues, and students who are on the same path. This makes giving, receiving, and sharing a wonderful thing along the way.

Time

You will have time to stop, think, breathe, relax, or meditate. You can always fill your plate beyond its limits, but you no longer have to.

You can determine whether or not you will be stuck in traffic during rush hour. You decide what hours you will work and what days you have off. You will come to the realization that your time is your own.

Independence

Everyone wants control of their own life, but very few achieve it. Being in business for yourself, can help you control your own destiny and that of your family.

Sure there are limits to what one person can accomplish, but it is better to try than to have never tried.

Success

No matter what you want, if you write down your short-term and long-term goals, you will make great progress toward them.

You should keep these goals in a place where you can see them daily and visualize yourself accomplishing your goals. You should be specific about time frames and ethical methods used to meet them. You can even use them in meditation.

Review your long-term goals at least once every season and every year. Review your short-term goals daily. You will see yourself make rapid success in this way.

Lastly, goals do not have to be material at all. For example: You may want to start teaching Yoga in a year, and the following year, get a part-time Yoga teaching position. This type of goal setting is realistic and beneficial to mankind.

That is the key – If you choose a goal that will benefit others, you will surely achieve it.

© Copyright – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Please feel free to share our posts with your friends, colleagues, and favorite social media networks.

See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say about teaching therapeutic yoga sessions and our selection of online yoga instructor training intensive courses.