...onents within a Hatha Yoga class.

These four components are posture, breathing, relaxing, and meditation. A child will find all four of these subjects easy to grasp, but all of them are a challenge. For many kids, the relaxation and meditation are easy to understand, but mastering them is another matter.

Now, lets look at how a Yoga class for a child can have a profound and positive impact on his or her self-image. One of the first lessons a child walks away with is self-acceptance. Every child learns to appreciate being the best he or she can possibly be. This is achieved by understanding that other children may excel in one area of Yoga, while other children may be exceptional in a completely different area.

For example: One child may be able to relax or meditate; another child may demonstrate balancing skills in eagle Pose...more

Pilates vs Yoga

...n the two ancient arts of meditation and exercise. Ancient documents tell us that yoga likely began in South Asia while Pilates was created in Germany, a totally different continent. Another rather extreme difference is that Pilates was founded in 1880 and Yoga has been traced back as far as the Indus Valley civilization. While the individual or individuals who founded the practice of Yoga is unknown, it is well documented that Joseph Hubertus Pilates was the originator of Pilates. While Pilates mostly focuses on the physical body, Yoga concentrates on a unity of mind, body, and ...more

What Else Should a Hatha Yoga Teacher Know about Pranayama?

... to your classes for a variety of pain relieving methods, and some pranayama techniques usually help alleviate pain.

When a person has pain, he or she can think of nothing else. Pain is the companion you wish you never met. pranayama can help us say goodbye to pain, but it must be performed technically and safely.

Here are some of the many forms of pranayama a Yoga teacher should know. There are more, but this is a good foundation. It should also be noted that Yoga students are advised to seek guidance from a competent Yoga teacher.

pranayama methods deserve much more respect and should not be taken lightly. One pranayama session of 20 minutes, would make any Yoga beginner realize the hard work that goes into this practice. The value of pranayama, and quality of life it can bring, cannot be overstated.

Ujjayi pranayama: Also known as victor...more

Yoga for Relaxation

...ing the ancient yogic texts. Understand these vedas; whether they be the Rig Veda (knowledge of praise),Yajur-Veda (knowledge of sacrifice), Sama Veda (knowledge of chants), and Atharva-Veda(knowledge of atharvan), is likelier while deep in meditation. Understanding the vedic sutras, we are permitted to experience a bliss unknown through material grasping.

In this state everyday experiences fade away and a greater perspective unfolds. Over time, meditation also allows us to become more intuitive and receptive. This opens us up to others, enhancing our compassionate nature. This experience has been discussed by Eastern sacred-text expert H.P. Blavatskys in The Voice of the Silence. Blavatsky writes: Compassion is no attribute. IT is the LAW of LAWSeternal Harmony, Alayas SELF; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting Right, and fitness of all things, the law of love eternal.

In order to experience compassion for others we must first extend it to ourselves. Straining too forcefully in a pose is counter to compassion. Why? Yoga teaches us that we are all connected, so when we hurt ourselves this pain eventually reaches others. Instead we must strive for gentle self-acceptance, competing with nobody-not even ourselves. This is essential to a rewarding experience of yoga.

Postures for Peace

By the time of Patanjalis yoga sutras, which were written near the beginning of the common era, we begin to see a discussion of the more practical aspects of yoga. Posture is discussed (be it mainly for meditative purposes), as is concentration of the mind during this exercise. In the Yoga-Sutra, Patanjali presents relaxation as the very essence of yoga practice. He teaches us that posture should be steady and comfortable .This sentiment is reflected in the postures (asanas) of todays practic...more

Yoga Teacher Traning India