By
Rachel Holmes
Although
the last ten to fifteen years has seen an explosion in the number of yoga teacher training intensives around the world, many of these interns began
studying yogic methodology as part of an exercise trend that has swept across world since it started to become popular. Yogic exercise was praised for being a low-impact
physical activity and marketed to people across various demographics that
needed something less cardiovascularly demanding than an aerobics class or a
long morning run. People began to understand yoga training as an activity that would
help them lose weight and relax at the same time, and many became avid
practitioners who soon advanced to more complex and demanding sessions.
It
is true that with this popularization of yogic practices, many gyms and studios began to
offer sessions strictly for exercise, adapting some of the Ashtanga style sequences to create a more generalized form of power yoga. But even
these students soon realized that yogic methodology is not simply an exercise routine, it is
a lifestyle.
The Lifestyle
Physical
fitness is
one of the most popular parts of the yoga lifestyle. The promise of increased
bodily health has been one of the main reasons yoga has become so accessible to
such a wide range of students. The asana sequences practiced in classes strengthen
muscles while increasing flexibility and cardiovascular health, an attractive
combination to young and old alike who are looking for ways to get active.
A
calm interior is another attractive promise yoga training gives to its students.
The breathing and focus strategies introduced in even the most basic classes
allow students a way to calm their minds and relax their bodies. In a
stressful, fast-paced world, this is becoming ever more necessary.
Healthy
diets seem
to be an offshoot of regular practice. Gurus attribute this to the fact
that students become more in tune with their own bodies, and they begin to
actively seek out the nutrition their bodies crave. Another positive associated
with a healthier diet is increased physical fitness and mental alertness.
Ethical
living is
another important idea that anchors the practice of yogic methods to daily life. Yoga's
code of ethics include ideas about honesty and nonviolence along with
contentment and self-discipline - These principles, known as the yamas and
niyamas, guide practitioners toward ethical living.
Attainment
of wisdom is
associated with yoga's ancient practices. The connection of the individual to
the universal through stronger mind-body awareness is a primary tenet of yoga
wisdom, going back through the centuries. Practitioners use meditation combined
with asanas and ancient knowledge to achieve personal transcendence.
© Copyright– Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts,
and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”
Vist the Yoga Teacher Community: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/yoga-community/
