Posts Tagged ‘About Yoga’

Is Yoga a Science, an Art or Both?

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

yoga instructor trainingBy Bhavan Kumar 

In our modern society, art and science are viewed as opposites on the spectrum with a definitive line that runs through them. Yoga sometimes looks like an art, and at other times appears to be a science that stems from ancient wisdom and insight. So which one is yoga? Is yoga an art or a science? Could it possibly be both?

In the ancient days, there wasn’t a barrier between art and science at all. The intuition and insight of the wise stemmed from their imaginative capabilities alone since they lacked the technology that we have today which enables us to see and confirm every little thing. If they were to know about the workings of the body or the universe back then they would have had to have the imagination to think it a possibility. There was no other way. Those with incredible minds capable of conceiving ideas beyond what could be seen and touched filled in the blanks regarding the natural and spiritual world, and yoga was born from this insight.

Intuition and imagination are largely undervalued and under appreciated in our modern world of science, which only believes what it can count, measure and see. There is no need to guess when one can directly observe instead. Art is one area that still relies on insight and imagination in order for artists to create unique works of appealing art that strike a chord with the audience and without it, where would imagination and intuition be? Science may try to create calculated attempts to manipulate the senses but it’s just not effective. Art has soul.

The interesting thing about yoga is that it is the perfect marriage of science and art. The asanas are truly beautiful movements to behold and each one is a dance in its own right. Many of the yoga movements seem to simply be artful, with the point being beauty in the movement. Yet, when the yoga asanas are studied with the scientific knowledge of human anatomy and physiology we have today, the movements take on a completely new meaning. Each asana works the body perfectly, as if a computer had developed it especially to strengthen, lengthen or heal the human body.

Yoga is definitely both a science and an art, stemming back from a time when there was little difference between the two. Practicing yoga serves to keep this ancient wisdom alive and well in the present day, ensuring its enjoyment for generations to come.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga Practice for Relaxation

Monday, October 17th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Sangeetha Saran 

These days, you hear so much about Yoga for relaxation it blends into the background noise of healthy things you should do, but never have time to start. However, the opposite of relaxation is a panic attack or a nervous break down.

In today’s often busy and stress filled world it can be difficult to slow down and take a break. However, practicing Yoga for relaxation can certainly be beneficial. After all, stress can manifest itself in a number of ways. It can have a detrimental effect on emotional health and physical health. The practice of Yoga can help to alleviate the negative effects of stress. It can help relieve the pressure of living a life that can sometimes seem over scheduled and overbearing.

One of the many positive aspects about doing Yoga is that it is accessible to people of all ages and all fitness levels. The practice of Yoga doesn’t discriminate against body type or age. Learning the correct poses and how to breathe through them does require some basic concentration. Yet, for many people, especially novices, the body’s natural instinct to regroup and center itself through Yoga can be a pleasant surprise. Inhaling and exhaling, while moving through asanas, will help to direct the mind toward deeper states of inner calm and relaxation. Concentrating on balance and form can be good ways to redirect the mind and body.

All too often, people find themselves becoming way too busy. School, work, children and the myriad of responsibilities that go with those aspects of life can drain a person’s energy. Using Yoga for relaxation can often help to recharge the body and the mind, so that it can better deal with the challenges of daily life. Practicing Yoga with regularity is something can be built in to almost any type of lifestyle. Dedicating time and effort in order to help improve the mind and body can help put things in perspective, sometimes leading to positive changes that might not have otherwise been found.

Yoga has been a monumental part of millions of people’s lives. It has been known to help people lose weight, gain confidence and lower blood pressure. It has been around for thousands of years and its staying power is just a testament to its positive impact. It can help strengthen the body and mind while at the same time providing the tools to alleviate stress. Practicing Yoga for relaxation is a wonderful way to get in touch with the positive life force that is within us all.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Meditations on Yoga in America Part II

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

become a yoga teacherBy Sangeetha Saran

Philip Goldberg proposes that the more than 18 percent of people today who call themselves “spiritual but not religious,” and the 24 percent that believe in reincarnation, were directly persuaded to this viewpoint by the influence of Indian spirituality and Yoga.

Philip Goldberg writes in the forward that the book could have been 1,000 pages long, and in some places, it feels as if it is. Spanning from the Beatles to positive psychology to the rapper 50 Cent, Goldberg makes a brief case for the principles touching each subject. Topics directly related to Yoga comprise roughly a third of the book, and the short chapter style (each subchapter is no longer than two or three pages) make it easy to read for five minutes at a time. “American Veda” provides the reader with thousands of fascinating facts, such as that the Hard Rock Cafe’s “Love All, Serve All” message came from its co-founder’s guru, whom he credits with saving his life. The book is a fount of information, but not a page-turner.

Fortunately, there is a happy medium. “The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America,” aims to show the far-reaching effects of Yoga through interesting characters playing a role in its development. The title refers to the subtle body, one of a series of psycho-spiritual constituents of living beings, according to mystical teachings. Like Goldberg, Syman traces the roots of the movement to Thoreau , and like Love, she covers the tabloid-frenzied exploits of American Yogi Bernard, but she covers other subjects in an easy, readable style as well. She refers to the modern, multifaceted Yoga craze as plastic or “marshmallow” Yoga, which can assist in everything from back pain to pollution. More anthropological in tone than either of the other two books, Syman doesn’t shy away from perceived negatives in the Yoga experience.

All three of these books are intriguing, from the standpoint of demonstrating how arguments about Yoga today have existed in the U.S. throughout its time here. An interview with Syman following the release of her book discusses her finding “an 1898 New York Herald article about Yoga which could have almost run verbatim in 1998… a trend story about how the “fashionable set” was doing Yoga,” and debates about “exercise” versus “authentic” Yoga. Charges leveled at Yoga today are apparently not the new insights that critics presume.

If you read only one of these books, make it Syman’s. However, if you have an interest in truly understanding the culture that surrounds Yoga in America, there is a place for all three of these books on your shelf.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Dvision

To see our complete selection of Yoga teacher training courses, please feel free to visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/Teacher-Courses/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul

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Lights, Camera, Action: Yoga in the Movies

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Faye Martins

The film industry has always documented American society, and movie references can be counted on to legitimize cultural trends. Starting in the 1960s and moving forward to today, there have been films about Yoga and films that feature Yoga as a major plot point, showing that it has become an important part of life for many people. To catch up on how Hollywood thinks of Yoga, Below are some films to watch.

Eat, Pray, Love: this 2010 film starring Julia Roberts was based on a book by the same name. The main character visits an ashram and does yoga as part of her process of self-revelation.

Yoga, Inc.: A sometimes critical look at the materialism that has become a part of the western yoga movement, this 2007 movie was made by Australian director John Philip. He primarily targets the Bikram yoga franchise, run with huge profits by Bikram Choudhury. The film does offer interviews with other teachers and concludes in a well-rounded approach that Yoga is a changing movement and while commercialism is present, it does not spoil the core values of the practice.

Yoga has also appeared in some unusual places in the film industry. The 1967 film “Easy Come Easy Go,” featured Elvis Presley in a song and dance sequence performing “Yoga Is As Yoga Does,” and he performs a hand bind during the song. There are comic scenes featuring Yoga in the recent popular movies “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and “Meet the Fockers.” Johnny Knoxville’s shock comedy series “Jackass,” includes one segment of him attending a Yoga class with some personal issues.

Yoga has even played a role in horror and martial arts films. The 1979 film “Kung Fu vs. Yoga,” features a brave hero who must steal a ruby from a Yoga master to win his bride. During the fight scene, Yoga provides extra flexibility to the dastardly Yoga master. “Yoga Hakwon,” or “Yoga School,” a 2009 film directed by Korean director Yoon Jae Yeon features a home shopping network star who attends an intensive Yoga course promising eternal beauty to her and the other students; of course, the price to be paid is far too high. The stars actually practice Yoga and promotional photos for the film show them in a variety of asanas. There are also uncanny scenes of Yoga flow amid the horror in this movie.

Enjoy these films and the many others available, including documentaries available from independent distributors. We all look forward to Yoga in the movies performing a starring role as it gains acceptance across the country.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga Gurus – Recognizing the True Ones

Friday, February 5th, 2010

By Neena Dayal

Yoga gurus or yoga teachers, as they are frequently called in the Western world are difficult to find. Yoga has great potential for saleability, all over the world. Therefore, many times it is seen that people with just simple knowledge start acting as yoga gurus. Many so-called yoga gurus take undue advantage of keen inclination of the people for learning yoga. They do more harm than good in the process. Hence, it is extremely important to recognize true gurus or yoga teachers and eliminate the false ones.

Some yoga teachers have great credentials and impressive degrees. Even then, learning from them may not be fruitful. Just knowledge of yoga is not sufficient. A person also has to be a good human being. Yoga is most beneficial when it is an exercise in spiritual growth.

Some pointers given below give good foundation to make the right choice.

• True yoga gurus are never boastful. The first and foremost qualification is that they are very humble.

• True ones never have a sense of pride of their knowledge of yoga. In order to become a true guru one must renounce all sense of pride.

• True yoga gurus are never ambitious. They are neither driven by forces of competition, success, and money, nor they are interested in glorifying themselves with false titles.

• True yoga gurus do not need to demonstrate their yogic powers in order to win over disciples. They have already mastered all the beneficial aspects of yoga. So, yoga in all its wonder becomes an integral part of their lives and they may not even have to practice it every day.

• Many times, it is seen that the gurus start considering themselves greater than others who do not know about yoga. They actually go against the most basic teachings by doing so. True ones understand perfectly that they are not superior to others. Instead, they develop a deep need to share their knowledge for the betterment of human beings.

• True yoga gurus attain deep stability of mind. They are never disturbed by anything. This does not mean that they are unaffected by their surroundings or things do not hurt them anymore. It simply means that they understand the ephemeral nature of things and so do not worry too much. They have the knowledge that the nature inclines toward stability and sooner or later things change for the better. This knowledge keeps their temperment unwavering.

A good yoga guru can change the outlook of your life. Hence, it is very important to choose the right teacher if you wish to learn yoga and experience the bliss of a great life force unleashed within and all around you.

Copyright: WordPepTM

Author: Neena Dayal

http://www.wordpep.com/

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Yoga Instructor

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

By Elizabeth Henshall

Lead or Self Taught Yoga Sessions?  That is the Question!

Having a yoga instructor can really help to boost your yoga practice. They will demonstrate the asanas (postures) so you can really see what you need to be doing and they will help you by watching what you do and making small corrections to keep your body aligned and safe. However Yoga is a wonderful tool for stress management that you can learn on your own with the help of a DVD or book. It all depends on you and your learning style. Think first – what way have you learnt best in the past. Do you like to experience something by actually doing it and then you learn it well? Do you like to read something about the topic and that helps you learn best? Do you like to see something being done by someone else and then copying it which is where DVD’s are so helpful?

We each have our own best method of learning and the way you learn Yoga will be no different. Of course it can be nice to combine some of these and, for instance, go to a class and also read up on it. Or go home and do your daily yoga practice with a dvd to guide you. Yoga instructors come in all shapes and sizes and with their own preferred style. Typically yoga instructors are young women and they love what they do so you can expect an enthusiastic, warm and lovely class. Also fairly typical in the yoga instructor field are old women or men who have had some background in dance or sports and who then turn to yoga. These instructors can be very suitable for an older person as they understand a lot about changes in the body and have a wide range of information to supplement their yoga knowledge.

The most important thing about Yoga and finding an instructor or teaching yourself through some other method is that you enjoy what you are doing. If you like being part of a class because it gives you structure and some social contact – like a little oasis of peace that is just for you every week – then that will be the right choice for you. If you like to create a sense of peace and enjoyment through practising quietly at home in your own space at any time you fancy – then that is right for you. If you do it in a way that you don’t enjoy you will not carry on with the practice over a long period of time (which is when you really reap the benefits!)and your body will be stiff with resistance as you do it, which isn’t nice! So think about what works for you – then make that happen. Enjoy!

Restorative Yoga Workshops and more information about how to use this form of self healing can be found on Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga. The Fifty, Fit and Fabulous programme provides a step by step approach to wellbeing through holistic care and is outlined on these sites.

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Walking Boldly on the Teacher’s Path

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Yoga Teacher Training  By Diane M. Cruz

I used to think that in order to teach yoga I had to know everything there is to know about yoga. How limiting is that? That assumption overwhelmed me so much that I almost gave up on the whole idea of teaching in the first place. The big huge world of yoga knowledge was just too vast, and sometimes confusing that I wondered how many teacher trainings I would have to take before I “felt” ready. Yet this is not something that can be taught in teacher training. You decide when you are ready, you decide when you are a teacher. The door was wide open and I was too timid to walk through even though I was fully equipped.

Then one day I wasn’t afraid. I don’t remember what changed, but I “felt” ready. I knew I would never know it all and that the knowledge I have come across so far was plenty to at least start teaching. So I stepped boldly on the teacher’s path and never looked back.

I do the best that I can studying on my own and with constant contact with my yoga teacher who lives on the other side of the states. My own yoga practice, students and class teach me daily what I need to learn.

To not know it all is o.k., to pretend like I know it all is NOT o.k. Some of my favorite yoga classes have been from teachers who are honest, open and love yoga. Should it be anymore than that?

Diane M. Cruz is an inner-preneur, Yoga Teacher and Life Coach in San Diego, California. She believes in cultivating a strong body and mind to keep you moving on your life path. Her classes and coaching sessions will empower you by providing life-enhancing tools to apply immediately to your life. Visit her website http://www.thebijacenter.com.

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10 Things to Love About Yoga in the Winter

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Written By Deborah Bernstein

Do the long, dark winter months have an affect on your well being? Do you find yourself feeling depleted and in search of opportunities to hibernate? Be aware of what your body is asking for – it usually has a good reason, and often it is wise to listen to it.

At times the best way to serve ourselves is to talk a lesson from the bears and hibernate. Try it for a day. Forgive yourself not being “productive”. Interesting the next time you call on yourself to be productive, you may be a whole lot sharper after having given your body a rest.

And while you’re raising your awareness about your body’s winter needs, here are some fun reminders of why our yoga practice can be special and unique in the winter.

10 Things to Love about Yoga in the Winter

1. Not having to wake up quite so early to do your practice while the sun is rising.

2. More time to attend workshops on the weekends when it’s not competing with yard work (understandably, gardening IS yoga for many of us…but not so much for me)

3. How well our twisting postures prepare us for shoveling.

4. A warm toasty studio or meditation spot on an icy cold day.

5. That yoga allows us to practice impermanence. That all sensations (in this case, cold ones) pass (unless you live on the North Pole).

6. Snow cancellations give us “extra” time that we can use to practice, read, meditate.

7. A meditation walking through a snow storm and listening to the sounds (a kind of buffered quiet I’ve never heard elsewhere)

8. Bundling up in blankets for savasana.

9. Heating up your body all on your own through a vigorous practice.

10. More opportunities to stay indoors and develop a home practice.

Deborah Bernstein is a yoga teacher, owner of Florian Villa Yoga Retreats on St. John, and former corporate finance director of a Fortune 500 company. A portion of all proceeds from Deborah’s yoga retreat business supports families of fallen firefighters and disabled veterans. Join her yoga community at http://florianyoga.blogspot.com

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