Yoga, Happiness and Buddhism: Right Intention

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

There is a growing awareness and interest in the Yoga community about how to use the tools and techniques of Yoga to increase happiness. One of the ways to increase a sense of happiness, ease and well-being through a balanced Yoga practice is to incorporate the wisdom of The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism into your practice or Yoga classes. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Fourth Noble Truth of the Buddha. It is literally a road map of how to live a life filled with a sense of purpose, happiness, nobility, and ease. Ultimately, following the Eightfold Path is intended to lead a saduka or spiritual seeker to a state of enlightened absorption in the Divine.    

By implementing the Noble Eightfold Path into your Yoga practice or class, you will find that your practice is integrated into your own life and the lives of your students in a deeper, more meaningful way. A dharma wheel with eight spokes frequently represents the Noble Eightfold Path. Each spoke is a different aspect or step on the path. The goal of these eight steps is to relieve suffering and nurture a realistic and accurate understanding of the universe and our place in the universe. Following the Eightfold Path is also intended to relieve the mental suffering and strife that often arises from a sense of hopelessness about our own lives, as well as the despondency that many of us feel about the problematic state of the world. 

One of the eight steps on the Dharma Wheel is “right intention.” In this context, the term “right” is used to denote a sense of wisdom, skill and wholesome living. If you are a Yoga student, setting an intention that aligns your purpose for practicing Yoga with a “noble” cause, your practice will take on a deeper meaning. This noble cause could be anything that uplifts you or the environment around you. In other words, if your intention for practicing Yoga today is to relieve your lower back pain or release pent up tension in your shoulders after a challenging work week, this is an admirable intention that will uplift you, which will in turn uplift those around you. 

As a Yoga instructor, if you formally take the time at the beginning of your class to allow your students to set an intention for their practice, you will quietly create the space and time for them to pause and reflect on their aspirations for practicing Yoga today. Aligning your own intention for leading a Yoga class will help to frame your instruction in a meaningful way. When you set an intention for teaching a particular class, it is advisable to keep in mind the individual students who comprise your Yoga class today.

* Setting an Intention with Lotus Mudra

Setting an intention with Lotus Mudra is a beautiful and heart-opening way to begin a Yoga practice or class. A mudra is a hand gesture that has the power to subtly shift your state of being and focus subtle energy in a profound way. Many Yoga traditions called the art of incorporating mudras into a Yoga class “sealing” the energetic qualities of the pose. Different mudras also generate various emotional tones and qualities. In terms of setting an intention for your practice or class, Lotus Mudra is a simple and referent way of tapping into the energy and wisdom of the heart chakra. 

To practice Lotus Mudra, place your palms together in a prayer position in front of your heart. Bow your head and pause for a moment to allow a heart-filled intention to arise from within you. When you are clear on the intention you would like to set for your practice, as you inhale, raise your head and gently open your fingers up to the sky in the form of a lotus flower by keeping your thumbs, little fingers and the lower part of your palms touching, while your middle fingers move out in the form of a budding flower. Hold Lotus Mudra for three complete breaths. After your third breath, bring your fingers together and bow your head to your heart as you seal your intention for your practice today. 

© Copyright 2014 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Should Yoga Teachers Give Medical Advice?

By Eleanor Bartel

Yoga teachers are many things - they are versatile fitness gurus, grounded spiritual examples, and compassionate and open-minded leaders in their community. Many teachers have a lot of experience in not just the practice of yoga, but also in human anatomy and the body. This means that many experienced yoga instructors can recognize pain and discomfort in their students during practice. However, yoga teachers should recognize their own limitations when it comes to dispensing medical advice. Legally, yoga teachers are not licensed to give medical advice in most areas of health. There will be times when a student needs you to recommend a medical professional to help with their injury or discomfort.

Be Up Front About Your Qualifications

Many people will ask their yoga teacher questions about health and medicine. This may be because your students are more comfortable talking to you instead of their normal primary care physician, who they may not see on a regular basis. As a yoga instructor, it's your responsibility to tell your students that you are not equipped to give medical advice. This is for the safety of your students as well as for your own safety regarding legal and ethical matters. If students come to you asking for detailed, personal health information, such as what it means if their back pinches in a certain pose or why they are having digestive issues, avoid trying to diagnose the issue. Instead, recommend that they see a medical professional - such as their primary care doctor or a chiropractor. If you get asked a lot of questions, you can always have contact information for nearby medical professionals on hand.

Suggesting Poses and Props

If your student does have an already diagnosed medical condition or injury, one thing you can do without worry is recommend which poses they should avoid. This is something yoga instructors will learn during their teacher training. For example, you can help students with back problems avoid pain by telling them to avoid certain poses like intense backbends and deep forward bends. You can also help students by recommending poses that can help strengthen the area or stretch the sore muscles. For students who have existing injuries or pain due to lack of flexibility, props can also be used to make the poses easier and gentler. Have props like yoga blocks, straps, and bolsters available for use in your class so that you can help your students find the best way to do a pose for their current physical ability level.

Avoid Nutritional Recommendations

Because yoga is so focused on natural health and healing, many students will have questions about holistic nutrition and herbal supplements during class. While you may have your own personal nutrition guidelines outside of the studio, it is important to avoid giving any nutritional advice in the classroom. As a yoga teacher, you are not licensed to dispense this kind of information, and doing so could land you in legal hot water. The best approach is to recommend that someone with specific dietary concerns seek out professional guidance from a doctor or a licensed nutritionist or dietician. If you like, you can keep business cards or brochures at the studio for local professionals.

Because yoga teachers hold such a personal, prominent role in the lives of their regular students, they are often swamped with personal questions about health and medicine. As an instructor, it is your responsibility to direct students to the appropriate professionals regarding health, medicine, and nutrition. This will not only help your students to achieve optimal health, but it will also protect you from getting into trouble legally and ethically.

© Copyright 2014 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Effective Ways Of Teaching Pranayama

By Faye Martins

Pranayama is the practice of controlling breathing. It is as important to Yoga as mental stability is to general wellbeing. The proper technique of teaching Pranayama has almost been lost due to the present day attention that is given to paying customers in yoga classes. The mantra that the customer is king has seriously compromised yoga teachers' integrity in imparting knowledge of this old and valuable art. Some teachers create the impression that Pranayama is a separate field of knowledge from yoga. This cannot be further from the truth.

Teaching Pranayama should go hand in hand with teaching other aspects of yoga. It should start at the onset of the main teaching. It should then be paced out proportionately with the rest of the teachings. It is a part of the lessons. As in all aspects of yoga, Pranayama gets better with practice. It is important to learn it systematically. The mind has to be allowed to assimilate all the teachings gradually in order for one to benefit fully.

There is a proper method of imparting the knowledge of Pranayama. It entails first ensuring that the student has the correct moral intentions. If one goes into it with the wrong moral setup, then anything taught will not bring about any real benefit. Diet is also an important factor in preparing the right candidates for Pranayama. The ideal diet is vegetarian and free from stimulants and any addictive substances because the nervous and glandular systems should not be over stimulated into producing selfish and contracting emotions. A thing such as olive oil is good for keeping the lungs well lubricated. A diet rich in fruits and milk is ideal and should be encouraged in students.

In order for breathing to be right, the mind needs to be focused. The best way to go about this is to focus the mind on a single unwavering point. This then leaves the body relaxed and the breathing deep and effective. At this point, one should also have an absorbing idea that allows him to relate the flow of air into and out of the point of focus.

There are a few rules that must be followed if Pranayama is to be effective and beneficial for the student. It should not be done immediately after the postures. The student should break for at least 45 minutes after the postures before commencing on the breathing exercises. A clean environment is also critical and so Pranayama should be done in a room completely free of dust and smoke.

Not all times are good for Pranayama. When one has a head ache, he or she should not practice Pranayama. Understanding the sensitivity of one's body enables a student to know his or her limits and so be able to respect it more. It is advisable to be gentle and patient in putting students through the learning stages of Pranayama. It is something that should not be forced but rather, developed gradually. This can only be achieved through gradual development and hard work.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA.  

Learn Why Yoga Liability Is A Must For Yoga Instructors

By Faye Martins

Yoga is a relatively safe and low impact practice. Considering yoga liability is not always a priority for instructors and business facilities, but without it you might be putting your personal assets and business assets in jeopardy in the event that something unexpected happens. There are many situations that could lead to liability claims, and in that event, you need to have protection in place so that you can handle the scenario without losing your business.

An example of one of the most common reasons yoga liability insurance is utilized is personal injury. Even when using the most appropriate teaching techniques and giving proper instruction to the client, you may encounter a situation where bodily injury occurs and a claim is made. Without insurance, the client will look to you to cover their expenses, and depending on the injury involved, the recovery can be long and expensive. An important step you can take as an instructor is to obtain a short health history of your clients. This can give you an idea of ways to avoid injury or overuse and ultimately avoid claims.

Professional liability can also cover costs in the event that someone is injured in the facility, but not during a class (ie. slip and fall). If you are employed at a facility, they should provide this as a general policy. If you own your own facility, it is very important that you include this type of coverage in order to protect yourself and your assets. This also applies to injuries that occur from failed equipment and damaged property.

The cost of insurance for yoga instructors and facilities is relatively low. This is because the occurrence of claims is also low, and keeps insurance at an affordable rate. The rates for insurance can vary from $15 to $40 per month, depending on the amount of coverage and whether you are part time or full time teaching. Most policies will cover you at your facility and if you travel or work as a mobile class. You also want to make sure that all age clients are covered, and whether there are any exclusions.

Some other questions you may want answered when shopping for a policy include:

Is there a deductible?

Are student teachers/apprentices eligible for coverage?

Is there a class size limit?

What is the statute of limitations for claims?

Is your style of yoga covered?

Are any other services you provide covered? (Massage, Pilates, Reiki, etc)

Is advertising liability included?

Are you protected against claims of sexual harassment and abuse?

When you are ready to shop for insurance, have your list of questions ready and call as many companies as you can find. This will ensure that you get the most coverage for the best price. Ask your colleagues for input about who they've had the best luck with and how the customer service has been. Another thing to look for is member benefits for policyholders, such as health care discounts, disability insurance and other exclusive benefits.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. 

Improving Core Strength with Yoga: Ardha Navasana

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

The practice of Yoga is becoming more and more well known. Over the past few decades, the popularity and accessibility of Yoga has increased by leaps and bounds. Yoga studios can be found in almost every town, and most health clubs now offer an assortment of classes to their members. There are even classes offered in schools, hospitals and prisons by certified Yoga instructors. If you were to ask the average person walking down the street what the main benefits of the practice are, they would most likely answer “ relaxation and flexibility.” However, the benefits of Yoga extend far beyond relaxation and flexibility. 

If you engage in a regular practice of Yoga poses, breathing exercises and meditation at least several times a week, you will most likely experience a buoyant sense of well-being, increased physical strength and a calmer mind. In addition to keeping your muscles limber and pliable, many Yoga poses also help to improve core strength. Some of the most well known asanas for improving core strength are Plank Pose and Boat Pose. In addition, many standing poses and arm balancing asanas also dramatically improve the strength of core abdominal muscles. 

For beginning Yoga students, the practice of Half Boat Pose will help to strengthen the abdominal muscles, so that more advanced postures become more accessible and pleasurable. Half Boat Pose, or Ardha Navasana, is a gentle and effective pose that also helps to strengthen the lower back and arm muscles. The practice of Half Boat Pose is particularly appropriate for students who are new to the Yoga, students who may be recovering from an injury or surgery, and older students who may find the practice of Full Boat Pose to be too arduous. 

The practice of Half Boat Pose is contraindicated in the following situations: pregnancy, menstruation and recent abdominal surgery. Practicing Half Boat Pose can be helpful during the recovery process after abdominal surgery only after a student has recovered from the surgery for some time. If you are teaching a Yoga student who has had abdominal surgery, it is advisable to have your student check with his or her doctor about the appropriateness of practicing abdominal strengthening exercises prior to engaging in Ardha Navasana. 

* Ardha Navasana or Half Boat Pose

Ardha Navasana is usually practiced towards the latter portion of a Yoga class after a full series of Sun Salutations, standing and balancing postures. Some students and teachers like to practice Ardha Navasana prior to back bending poses, while other practitioners prefer to practice this pose prior to inversions and seated forward folds. Half Boat Pose can also be performed as a stand-alone asana for its strengthening benefits. If you find Half Boat Pose to be challenging at first, do not dismay, your core abdominal muscles will become stronger as you continue to practice the posture and in time you will find yourself able to execute more advanced Yoga poses with relative ease. 

When you are ready to practice Half Boat Pose, come to a comfortable seated position on your Yoga mat. With an inhale; raise your bent legs up to chest height with your calves parallel to the mat. Extend your arms out to the sides of your knees with your palms facing each other and your arms parallel to the mat. Continue to breath as you balance the weight of your body directly on your sacrum. This action of finding the point of balance in this pose will help to increase your body’s somatic awareness and improve your ability to balance in more strenuous Yoga postures. Hold Half Boat Pose for three to five breaths, and then release. Repeat two more times. 

If you are recovering from recent abdominal surgery or an injury and Half Boat Pose proves to be too challenging at first, there are a number of modifications you can employ. To ease into the posture, try holding the back of your thighs with your hands, instead of fully extending your arms. This will lessen the abdominal intensity of the asana. Alternately, you may find that placing your hands behind your hips on the Yoga mat will give you enough support to ease your way into the full practice of Ardha Navasana.

© Copyright 2014 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division