Social Skills and Social Events - Teaching Hatha Yoga

You might get some new Yoga students over the long-term, as a result of your charitable efforts. Karma is such a powerful law that only good things can come from your selfless service; and parents should not have to suffer the loss of a child.....

Social Skills and Social Events - Teaching Hatha Yoga

if you are teaching Yoga sessions on a regular basis, or plan to, social skills are an absolute must. Running a Yoga studio, and teaching classes, has much in common with being a coordinator of social gatherings or an activities director.

Recently, this was the topic of discussion between a colleague and I, who said she was too busy to be a "social butterfly." She felt that teaching Yoga lessons is enough and her students should be grateful for the experience.

While I can appreciate her honest opinion, and I know she is a competent Yoga teacher, there is a void, within her studio, of a social atmosphere. She has a receptionist, faculty, and staff members, who could fill in the public relations gaps at her studio.

When I suggested the idea, she felt it was unprofessional to turn a studio or ashram into a social center. She said, "I want real Yoga students who are completely committed to practice and I don't want a meeting place for fly-by-night introductions."

However, with the recent summer slow down and the "new economy," she called me to ask for a few ideas for social gatherings. We talk for almost an hour, but I can give you a summary of ideas that can bring new students into your Yoga studio.

In the fall, we have our annual St. Jude Children's Research Hospital fundraiser. It is a combination of an open house, Yoga marathon, and a fund raiser. What does St. Jude Children's Research Hospital do? St. Jude's is the second largest health care research charity in the United States. Their mission is to cure cancer in children and they also research other catastrophic diseases.

Now, you might say, "I would rather have a fund raiser for my own studio than a charity. My studio needs students. How will this help me?" You are right - this will not help you get new students in the short-term. What it will do is raise the awareness level in your community about what you do and what you are about.

You might get some new Yoga students over the long-term, as a result of your charitable efforts. Karma is such a powerful law that only good things can come from your selfless service; and parents should not have to suffer the loss of a child.

If you are considering a grand opening, open house, partner Yoga night, charitable event, or a combination of these ideas, to get some public exposure, it is a win-win event. Your community, your favorite charity, and your studio will all benefit from your efforts.

By: Samsmith
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Yoga and Nervous System

Yoga and Nervous System***Slow, deep breathing is the nervous system's best friend. Rapid breathing increases the heartbeat and stimulates the nervous system, thrusting it into the sympathetic mode, the fear response of "fight or flight."....

Yoga and Nervous System

An agitated nervous system fails to receive the Spirit's guidance, just as a warped antenna cannot receive television signals properly. The nervous system feels joy and sorrow, initiates laughter and tears. However, when under stress, it fumbles through its job, and so do we. In our yoga practice and in life, we must protect our nervous system and ensure that it lives in a state of equanimity.

During your yoga practice, regularly pause and feel what you are doing, both while you are practicing the pose and after your body creates a mind-body connection, calming your nervous system and fostering peace. Doing is the state of moving toward the future. Feeling is the state of being in the moment. Peace reveals itself only when we are completely present, feeling what is happening in the Now.

In our society, we are always being hurried along, running from one task to another like frustrated rats on an eternal treadmill. Our poor nerves rarely get a chance to rest, to breathe. When I first taught in America, in 1980, I was astonished to see that many students would shut their eyes while doing asana in an effort to relax, yet when they would lie down in Shavasana, their eyes would pop wide open! When it was actually time to tune in to the trauma and tension in their nervous systems, they were afraid to face the demons within, and peace was denied them.

Slow, deep breathing is the nervous system's best friend. Rapid breathing increases the heartbeat and stimulates the nervous system, thrusting it into the sympathetic mode, the fear response of "fight or flight." Holding the breath creates even more nervous tension and can increase blood pressure dramatically, thwarting any prospect of peace. On the other hand, lengthening and deepening each breath slows down the heartbeat and calms the nerves, inviting peace. Therefore, always be consious of your breath while practicing, and put to use the blessed power of slow, deep breathing, especially when working at your edge.

The nervous system is agitated by jerky movements and by the trembling caused by working too hard or too long in a pose. There is no virtue in holding poses to the point of strain, for the benefits of holding quickly fade and even turn into detriments. Also, after intense poses, some yoga teachers encourage their students to "shake it out" in order to release tension. Shaking agitates the nerves. Isn't it far better to be still and, with a focused, peaceful mind, melt the tension with deep breathing and awareness?

By: Samsmith
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About Yoga and Meditation

Yoga and Meditation--In the contemporary context it means the integration of physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual aspects of human personality and also the integration of an individual with his environment and society....

About Yoga and Meditation

The word YOGA is derived from the Sanskrit root 'YUJA' as also from the root 'YUJIR' meaning to 'unite' or to ‘integrate'. This union refers to the union of the individual consciousness with the cosmic or divine consciousness. In the contemporary context it means the integration of physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual aspects of human personality and also the integration of an individual with his environment and society. In its true spirit YOGA is the inhibition of the functions of the mind by 'Abhyasa (Practice- discipline) and Vairagya (Detachment). AYURVEDA has a four-dimensional entity comprising of Sarira (Body), Indriya (Senses), Satva (Mind) and Atma (Soul) and YOGA refers to the union or integration of these four aspects.

Yoga has evolved to include postures that really do fit that sort of description. Through much persistence, patience and careful study, many people today have achieved and even surpassed those. For the uninitiated, the image of yoga commonly consists of contorting yourself into a human pretzel and sitting on the pointy bit of some distant mountain.

Even so, this should be considered an extremity of yoga. Just as all martial arts have evolved from yoga, anything can be taken to the point of distraction when on the road to enlightenment. These complex and sometimes dangerous yoga poses should only be considered after years of experience and never seen as an end-goal.


The oldest formal documentation of yoga comes from around 200 B.C. but there are many references that point way back to the Vedic times where, it is said, the yoga path was initiated. In any case, yoga has been around in one form or another for a very long time.

Long enough to have been the precursor to every form of martial arts and every type of exercise system. Translating from the ancient Sanskrit, the word yoga is derived from the verbal root, yuj, meaning to yoke, harness. From the language, yoga is the process of uniting ourselves in order to express the energy of our true nature. In other words, yoga is the methodical steps of aligning and converging our body, mind and spirit for the purpose of enlightenment. Please visit us at www.ayurvedasbeautycare.com

By: Prabhu
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About Yoga

Yoga emphasizes to develop insight, awareness and understanding.,Yoga is also about contemplation and meditation.,The amazing thing about yoga is that your practice is always evolving and changing, so it never gets boring...

About Yoga

Yoga is originated in India, meaning "union" occurring between the mind, body and spirit.

Yoga emphasizes to develop insight, awareness and understanding. To do this, we must practice Shani-- the slowing down between impulse and reaction, which naturally facilitates mindfulness and introspection and gives us the choice on how to respond rather than impulsively reacting to situations and events.

Many people think that yoga is just stretching, which is not right. Actually, yoga is about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. The players can achieve this goal through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits.

Yoga is also about contemplation and meditation. Its aim is for you to achieve your fullest potential in life, since you possess a storehouse of immense happiness within you! It's not essential to be young and supple to practice Yoga. All that is needed, is a desire to be happy. "

The amazing thing about yoga is that your practice is always evolving and changing, so it never gets boring. Although the poses themselves do not change, your relationship to them will. Anyone can start a yoga practice, even if you don't feel like you are very flexible or very strong. These things will develop over time. Another great thing about thinking about "your practice" is that it encourages the noncompetitive spirit of yoga. One of the most difficult, but ultimately most liberating things about yoga is letting go of the ego and accepting that no one is better than anyone else. Everyone is just doing their best on any given day.

By: yangguang01
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Yoga Teacher Training India,Yoga Teacher Training Goa,Yoga TTC

Yoga Teacher Training India,“Couple Yoga”. It is one of the most successful techniques used by the Yoga teachers in USA and Europe...

Yoga Teacher Training India,Yoga Teacher Training Goa,Yoga TTC

Yoga life: India is often recognized as the center of the Yoga world. Certainly, there are more practitioners here than anywhere else. However, the practice of yoga has spread throughout the world. As it has spread, it has been changed and modified through experimentation and the application of creative approaches. In the West, yoga practice has taken on many different dimensions. Yoga purists may find it easy to be critical of many of the new ways and would not agree that these ways are “real” yoga. Be that as it may, the experiments in West have come up few very unique aspects, which have the potential to deeply impact your yoga practice and your relationships. One the these is “Couple Yoga”. It is one of the most successful techniques used by the Yoga teachers in USA and Europe.

Couple yoga is a method in which you team up to learn and practice yoga. Most often, the “couples” are what we understand by the traditional interpretation of the term – a man and a woman. In fact, most of the couples who are practicing couple yoga are men and women who are involved in a loving relationship. But, the term “couple” here can also mean two people. They can be friends of the same gender, a girlfriend or a buddy. They can be a parent and a child. What seems to be most important to a successful yoga “couple” is that they share a caring relationship.

In the practice of couple yoga, each person not only performs individual Asanas, but also performs many yoga exercises together with their partner. Some couple postures involve only minor physical contact, like holding your partner’s back as they bend. Others are such that they cannot be performed alone. A Pascimottanasana is an example in which the couple is seated on a mat with the bottoms of there feet together and their hands clasping their partner’s wrists. Together, they perform a double forward bend and help each other stretch leg, back and arm muscles.

One might ask, “what are the advantages of practicing couple yoga? There are many.

Couple yoga helps each person to perform the most difficult postures with greater ease.

Mutual practice creates a greater level of intimacy. It can take the relationship to a different level and helps develop deeper understanding of ourselves and our partner.

In our busy lives when we do not know how to create time for rejuvenation of our own individual health, sharing the practice of yoga with a loved one can become an important means of improving both personal health and the strength of a relationship.

Practicing couple yoga helps each partner to understand their own and their partner’s strengths and weaknesses and creates the opportunity for each to add to their own and their partner’s strengths and to help improve each other’s deficiencies.

Couple yoga can create a surge of energy in the relationship. It can improve the way you “dance” together. The supportive hand of a partner helps to unlock all those blocked energy areas in your body.

It is difficult for many people to perform postures like chakraasana alone. When you have a partner to give you a helping hand you can do it without any effort at all.

Doing yoga with your kids enhances their feelings of being safe. Your loving touch and protective presence will make them confident and will help in them to grow into healthy adults.
We all know that there are two basic forms of communication – verbal and non-verbal. Doing yoga with your partner will improve the quality of your non-verbal communication and this communication without words gives another dimension for the expression of emotions.

Doing yoga with your partner will help you become sensitive to when your partner is in need and aware of how to help. The combination of touch and caring adds to the healing capacity of your shared yoga relationship. Because partner yoga creates the space and the opportunity to hear each other beyond words, each will be able to hear “inner sounds” of the other. This heightened awareness adds to the feelings of peace and grounding often noted as one of the main benefits of traditional yoga.

Couple yoga creates a feeling of mutual harmony and helps each partner stay in touch with the other. It is one of the best ways to sustain health on physical, emotional and spirit to spirit levels.

The yoga couple will be more flexible and together they will have more energy.
One of the most important advantages of couple yoga is the atmosphere it creates. Humor and laughter are not characteristics of traditional yoga. They are common in couple yoga. They contribute to an atmosphere of lightness, which is one of the best signs of health and happiness.

Couple yoga is not for everyone.

Many people benefit from their daily, solitary practice of yoga or from the yoga classes they attend with others. Many need the individual time as much as they need the benefits they derive from yoga practice. Some people are not comfortable with physical touch or with performing asanas with others watching.

For those who are beginning a new relationship or have been in a comfortable and caring relationship they would like to take to another level or for people, who are looking for a unique and mutually beneficial way to be with their children, couple yoga can open the door to wonderful new relationships.

Partner or couple yoga is about health and happiness and caring.
By: mark47
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Yoga Kundalini

Yoga Kundalini--The concept of Kundalini can also be examined from a strictly psychological perspective. From this perspective Kundalini can be thought of as a rich source of psychic or libidinous energy in our unconscious....

Yoga Kundalini

Kundalini Yoga literally means coiling, like a snake. In the classical literature of hatha yoga Kundalini is described as a coiled serpent at the base of the spine. The image of coiling, like a spring, conveys the sense of untapped potential energy. Perhaps more meaningfully Kundalini can be described as a great reservoir of creative energy at the base of the spine. It's not useful to sit with our consciousness fixed in our head and think of Kundalini as a foreign force running up and down our spine. Unfortunately the serpent image may serve to accentuate this alien nature of the image. It's more useful to think of Kundalini energy as the very foundation of our consciousness so when Kundalini moves through the sushumna and through our cakras our consciousness necessarily changes with it.


The concept of Kundalini can also be examined from a strictly psychological perspective. From this perspective Kundalini can be thought of as a rich source of psychic or libidinous energy in our unconscious.

In the classical literature of Kashmir Shaivism Kundalini is described in three different manifestations. The first of these is as the universal energy or para-kundalini. The second of these is as the energizing function of the body-mind complex or prana-kundalini. The third of these is as consciousness or shakti-kundalini which simultaneously subsumes and intermediates between these two. Ultimately these three forms are the same but understanding these three different forms will help to understand the different manifestations of Kundalini.

In the rich yogic literature extending over at least one thousand years two techniques for uniting prana and apana stand out. These are the vase breath and the bandha traya or three bandhas. These two will be briefly described below. A few things are important to note first. These descriptions are only detailed enough so that the techniques can be unambiguously identified. They are not instructions for practice.

The vase breath is a technique in which the apana wind is first drawn up from the perineum region to a point about two inches below the navel. The apana wind is drawn up using a technique called mula-bandha or literally root-lock. There are a variety of descriptions of this technique. The prana wind is then inspired and drawn down to the same area as well. The student then swallows and then slightly tenses the navel region to create the pot-like posture from which the technique draws its name. In the yogic literature it is often noted that one should never use much force in retaining the breath and should only gradually increase the duration of retention. To gain success in the vase breath it is valuable, if not essential, to become very familiar with the prana and apana winds or energies. For more details http://www.soundbodytrainer.com

By: baji
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Meditation Techniques By Meditation Mania

Meditation Techniques--Meditation techniques nurtures and transforms the qualities of an individual by relieving him from stress of daily life...

Meditation Techniques By Meditation Mania

Meditation techniques give peace and calmness in a spiritual way. It enlightens the human life. Meditation techniques nurtures and transforms the qualities of an individual by relieving him from stress of daily life. Meditation technique changes the negative thoughts into positive and it is done just by focusing within a one’s self and not outside.


Here are some popular forms of Meditation Techniques –

Concentrative Meditation Technique is performed by focusing the attention on an image, a sound (mantra chanting) or on the breath. Concentrative Meditation technique stills the mind and results in a better clarity and awareness. Concentrative meditation technique can be done simply by focusing on the breath; it is a very basic step. It is believed that there is a direct connection between the state of mind and the breath. When an individual gets agitated, frightened, and anxious or distracted, the breath shallows. But, when the mind is focused and calm, then the breath is deep, regular and slow. If an individual focuses on the rhythm of the process of breath intake and out, it gives an object for meditation. When the breath is focused, the mind gets absorbed in the process of breath intake and out. In result, the breathing becomes deep and slow. It makes the mind more alert.

Zen Meditation – Zen Meditation technique is performed by focusing the attention on the feelings and sensations, sounds, thoughts, images and so forth without thinking about these elements. While meditating, there should be no thinking about the worries, images, thoughts, and memories. Zen meditation technique results in a better state of mind that is clear, calm and non-reactive. Zen meditation technique is done by observing sensations and breathes non-judgmentally and very keenly. Zen meditation technique gradually takes an individual to emptiness & stillness, but it takes some time to master this technique. Zen Meditation technique is the easiest and most effective technique.

Japa Meditation – Japa Meditation technique is mainly performed for easing the tensed and stressed life. Japa Meditation results in a peaceful and calm life. Also it evokes the happiness from within an individual's self. Japa meditation technique involves the God’s name. The mantra chanting can be done softly or an individual may chant the mantra loudly. While sitting in a posture of meditation, the Japa meditation technique can be done in addition ot the worship in group or any other peaceful sitting activities.

Mostly, the Japa Meditation technique is performed counting a bead string that is known as Japa Mala. The Vaishnava devotees mostly chant by using a bead string that is made of Holy Basil (Tulsi). There are 108 beads in a Japa Mala. People also wear the Japa Beads around the neck while some wear them on their wrists.

Chakra Meditation - There are energy focal points in our body that are use by us in a conscious or unconscious state if mind. These energy focal points are called Chakras. The focal points are located in the body parts like head or heart. In the Chaka meditation technique, the different postures are used in order to open the Chakras. The hands are placed in a specific position and the body is relaxed, the eyes are closed; the charka is asked to open. Then it is visualized in the mind that the chakra color emanates and the size of the charka becomes larger. As the color becomes brighter, the color’s warmth is easily felt; also the charka emotions are felt. The body organs are felt filled with light and energy.

Bhuta Shuddi is a form of Chakra Meditation of Yoga and Tantra practice through which the five elements (bhutas) are balanced or purified (shuddhi). Bhuta refers to the past, and shuddhi refers to purifying that past, or the samskaras that operate in conjunction with the five elements. This is a very useful practice, whether you think of it as preparation for kundalini awakening, or simply as a practice for feeling balanced, centered, or tranquil, etc. (One of the two foundations of Yoga is Abhyasa, practices seeking of tranquility; Yoga Sutras 1.12-1.14).

For the Chakra Meditation of Bhuta Shuddhi, it is necessary to understand how the five elements relate to the chakras. The five bhutas are the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space, and they operate in conjunction with the lower five chakras (at subtle level they are called tanmatras, which are part of tattvas, or subtle constituents). The sixth chakra is of mind, and is beyond or prior to the bursting forth of space, air, fire, water, and finally earth. Consciousness itself (or whatever you want to call it) is prior to, or the source of manifestation of mind, and is the seventh chakra (surely there are other chakras, including between sixth and seventh, but the bhuta shuddhi practice itself need not focus directly on these).

Transcendental Meditation or yoga nidra (popularized by the Bihar School of Yoga), which owe its origin to ancient Hindu meditative techniques, aim towards a totally detached frame of mind. These forms encourage the practitioner to retreat within the inner-self, into the "real" world, away from the "illusions" (maya) of outside influences. Meditative practices like Mantra yoga, for example, induces the mind to concentrate on a sacred sound by ritualistic chanting, until it attains the trance-like state of samadhi (a state of mind, where it is only responsive to subjective impressions).

Healing Meditation – Healing meditation is practiced after sitting comfortably. It is a belief that the body is filling with light slowly, starting from the feet and then slowly moving upwards. As the light moves up the body, the light is felt like is relaxing the muscles and also the mind. I feel the light moving upwards until my entire body is filled with light and every muscle of my body is feeling relaxed.

Healing meditation calms the mind and gives it a balance state. Healing meditation increases the self esteem and confidence in a person. Healing meditation improve the memory and concentration of the mind. It reduces the tension quickly. It improves the attitude, mood and outlook on life. Healing meditation increases an individual’s problem solving ability.

It is felt like the body of light is radiating the light out from the eyes, the light is shining like a torch is shinning out directly from the eyes. Feel that the soul is directing the light towards the body part that causes discomfort and pain, it represents as a shadow on the body. Imagine like the painful body areas have dark shadows around them. Now feel like you are attracting a healing light to the painful body area, so that the darkness is vanished.

You can feel that this healing light is returning you to health and vitality
By: mivpl Sword
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