By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, YACEP What is an anxiety attack and can Yoga help reduce the symptoms at all. Let’s take a close look at both of these subjects and the practical application of Yogic methodology for improving the quality of one’s life. For someone suffering from an anxiety attack right now, he …
Anxiety is a state of agitation and hyper-arousal that is fueled by adrenalin and cortisol. When in a crisis situation, an extra shot of adrenalin can be incredibly helpful. It may assist you in the landing that big deal you have been chasing, finishing a challenging 10k race or saving somebody from a dangerous situation. Unfortunately, when adrenalin and cortisol continue to circulate throughout the body from unremitting daily stress, these otherwise life-saving hormones can degrade the health of both the body and mind.
All forms of yoga come from the same root and are, therefore, relatively interchangeable, so an hour-long class once or twice a week in any of the disciplines will quickly start to work wonders on both your physical and mental well being.
In pre-Communist Russia, some credit a painter and aristocrat, named Nicolas Roerich, and his wife, with traveling to India to study Agni or Fire Yoga and bringing back the teachings around 1894. The man was nearly single-handedly responsible for Yoga in the Soviet Bloc; Vasily Brodov, was an intriguing figure. A Moscow native, born in 1912, he was a natural dissident who spent time in the gulags, and on the front lines, in World War II.
Hatha yoga stretches are effective for toning the arms and can often be done by people who have limited flexibility. The upper body can…
There are no knee-opening poses in yoga, so it is important to take a few precautions, which can not only prevent injury but also strengthen your knee-joint.
Chair Yoga is for everyone; for all ages, for those with varying degrees of mobility, and those in varying degrees of condition. The health benefit of a consistent Chair Yoga practice is powerful and available for everyone.
Additionally, a state of courage and the tenacity to follow through on one’s goals is spoken of quite highly in many different spiritual texts from a variety of religious traditions. A challenging Yoga class that is accessible to most of your students will provide a framework within which to cultivate a sense of courage, accomplishment and diligence. Challenging standing postures and arm balancing poses often come to mind immediately as poses that easily lend themselves to the development of courage and tenacity.
In this example, you have the opportunity to model a state of gracious acceptance for your student, by asking the student to pause for a moment and notice how his or her body feels right now. As your Yoga student becomes aware of what his or her body truly needs in the moment, without negating, minimizing or justifying another course of action, you will have the opportunity to model a state of gracious acceptance of “what is” for your student. In this way, your student will feel more accepting of his or her own physical aptitude and level of fitness. This state of open, gracious acceptance will then allow both you and your student the ability to choose appropriate Yoga postures and breathing exercises that will truly nurture the student’s strength, flexibility and a deep, inner sense of respectful equanimity.
The space exists, at the start of class as you introduce yourself, to ask for students with any injuries to raise their hands and let you know of any injuries or health concerns. Another option for shyer students is to close their eyes and place hands over their hearts for a more anonymous approach. Create your own opportunities to find out more about your students to further establish safety in the studio.