Maintaining a personal practice ensures that you stay current in all aspects of Yoga that interest you most. It guarantees that your Yoga classes will remain fluid and interesting, avoiding monotony. Many students prefer a varied routine for each class, where they are learning new poses or working on different areas of the body.
The foundation of Yoga rests upon acceptance of one’s self as well as others. Yoga instructors have an obligation to students to model…
As the simple gift of ease and spaciousness increases with each inhalation and exhalation during their practice of this flowing version of Extend Child’s Pose, you can gently invite your students to release any negative emotions, thinking patterns or beliefs that may be holding them back in their lives. In this way, their Yoga practice will begin to mirror the release of the brilliantly colored fall leaves as they drift to the soft earth below. When you offer your students Yoga classes that are informed by the rich wisdom of the seasons, they will quite naturally align and be supported by the rhythms of the natural world around them.
Clearly, a balanced practice of Yoga postures, breathing exercises and contemplative techniques lends itself quite easily to improving one’s physical capabilities and mental outlook on life. By weaving some of the timeless wisdom of Yoga into your classes, you will further support your students in applying the wisdom of the ancient scriptures to their practice and to their lives off the mat. Furthermore, if you teach your Yoga classes in a disciplined manner, with a higher goal in mind, your students will pick up on how you approach your own professional role as their teacher, and they will quite naturally apply the same dedication to their own practice.
Some students may even feel fear when they step onto the mat because they are afraid they will not be able to meet their own high expectations of themselves or the perceived high expectations of their teacher or the class at large. For instance, in some Yoga teacher training classes, there is a strong emphasis put on being able to drop back into Upward Facing Bow from a standing position. However, dropping back into this challenging backbend may not be appropriate for all teacher trainees, during every class.
The therapeutic benefits of Yoga can be magnificent, but over-extension of the muscles can occur if the poses are performed incorrectly or held for a time period longer than a student can handle. Many yoga students are able to recognize easily when they are having a problem, but it is important for yoga teachers to understand the signs that accompany a potential injury, as there are quite a few new students who may not have the ability to recognize a problem or who wish to push themselves as much as possible in order to keep up with the crowd.
Pregnant students should be in a specialized class with a teacher who has successfully completed a prenatal yoga teacher training course.
Chair Yoga sessions or classes may be advisable in some instances. Yoga postures practiced during chair Yoga classes will not put pressure on the neck. Contrary to popular belief Chair Yoga is not for Seniors only.
In the same way, using a sensitive and appropriate krama of asanas will assist your students in making steady progress in their Yoga practice. One method of designing an effective sequence of Yoga poses is to choose a pinnacle pose to work towards. A pinnacle pose is an asana that is usually the most challenging for the students in a given class. In terms of harnessing Shiva’s energy of creation, working towards a pinnacle pose increases the energy and flow of the class until the pose is practiced.
You may have covered mantras in your yoga teacher training, but there are many different purposes for this practice. Creating a state of…