What Is The Need For Yoga Therapy?

By Faye Martins

While yoga may seem strange to outsiders, it can provide practitioners with a variety of benefits. Those who practice yoga may have better mental clarity and focus and may also benefit physically as well. On a more basic level, it can be a great way to meet people outside of work or outside of your close social circle. Therefore, the need for yoga therapy may be more important than most realize.

Keep Calm After a Long Day 

The pressures of everyday life can take its toll on even the mentally strong. The demands of a boss, the prospect of raising a child or simply making it home from work in heavy traffic can all be mentally draining. Therefore, it may be beneficial to engage in an activity that focuses on replenishing the mental energy that has been lost during the day. By taking the time to recharge mentally, it can help anyone get more done and deal with life's challenges with a better attitude.

Mental Health Leads to Better Physical Health

If you find yourself constantly stressed, you may find that you are also at risk for several health issues. During the winter, it may be easier to catch a cold as stress weakens our immune system. Stress can also lead to overeating and excess weight gain. Your teeth could also become fragile as you may grind your teeth while sleeping and not even know it. Taking the time to relax and deal with your stress may make it easier to stay healthy and be more productive at home and at work. 

Get Into Better Shape

Many yoga poses require that the person performing the pose be in good physical shape. While you don't have to be a bodybuilder to enjoy yoga, you will need good core strength to get the most out of many poses. Over time, you may find that your body is getting stronger simply by practicing yoga with a class or on your own. As you start to see your body getting into better shape, you may then find the motivation to start doing yoga full-time or start getting into other activities that you have long neglected due to being out of shape.

Meet New People 

You don't need to be a yoga expert to find a class to take part in. In fact, most people who are in your class are going to be new just like you. This gives you a chance to bond with your classmates and forge new relationships that can boost your personal and your professional life. At worst, it will shake up your routine and give you something new to look forward to once or twice a week.

Taking part in yoga can help you mentally as well as physically. For those who are looking for a new hobby to explore or just need something to do, yoga can be an effective way to get out of the house and help you improve your life. Classes are offered in many locations and you may find a class near you through online search.

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

All About Teaching Yoga Sessions

By Faye Martins

Teaching yoga can be both rewarding and relaxing. The important part is to prepare yourself before your first lesson. Learning about teaching yoga sessions is something that should begin within your own practice.

More than Asanas

Yoga is a holistic practice that encompasses much more than just the physical movements. Even if you never incorporate the other aspects of yoga into your personal classes you should be aware of them. There are eight limbs to yoga. The positions are just a single aspect.

The first limb is Yama, or the universal mortality. The second limb is Niyama, your personal observances. The third limb is Asanas. This is the physical part of yoga that most know. The fourth limb is Pranayama, the breath of life. These are also practiced in many yoga classes as breathing exercises. The fifth limb is Pratyahara, the control of your senses. The sixth limb is Dharana, the cultivation of your inner awareness. The seventh limb is Dhyana, one's meditation on the Divine forces. The eight and last limb is Samadhi, your individual connection with the Divine.

Read a little on the other limbs of the practice. Be knowledgeable about the historical and cultural important of the practice. It won't seem to be knowledge that is useful in day-to-day teaching. This is not the case. You will have students ask questions about the practice. You will also find the deeper understanding helps you in your own teaching.

The Eternal Student

Understand that the more you learn about teaching yoga sessions the more you will know that yoga is a lifelong learning experience. Your students expect you to live the truths that you are teaching them. Those who practice yoga are often held to a higher standard than their merely mortal students. Try to live your ideals while being yourself. In other words, don't pretend a persona that is not your own. If you eat GMO foods every day or enjoy meat, then be that while you are teaching. Your students will respect you for it.

Select the Right School For You

There are many different types of yoga practiced today. From traditional schools to the most modern forms of hot yoga, there will be a right one for you. While you may have found a school of yoga that you are comfortable practicing it will still benefit you to try out other types of yoga. Take a few classes in a number of schools of yoga. Incorporate elements that you enjoy into your own practice. A fully developed personal practice will help make you a more well-rounded teacher.

Be an Individual

In the beginning of your teaching practice you will probably mirror that of your own instructors. You will probably take those parts that you admire most in your teachers and use them to run your own classes. This is perfectly natural. As your confidence increases you will find that you naturally move towards those practices and actions that feel most natural. Teaching yoga will be as much of a learning experience for you as it is for your students.

Starting off on your teaching journey will be a rewarding and positive experience. It will lead you to discover things about yourself that you would have never dreamed of. Enjoy every minute of it.

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