...Many of us that regularly go to yoga classes will have heard the instructor telling us not to look at others in the room, but instead to think about our own practice. There is no doubt about the truth of this advice. When making these comments, the instructors are reminding us to practice yoga without the ego and pride that can lead us to try to compete with our neighbours or make us feel inadequate if we are unable to achieve a posture.

Learning from ourselves
yoga is an individual practice that helps us to focus our mind though the movement and use of our body. It is only by bringing our full awareness and concentration to our own bodies, movement and alignment that we can fully relax and deepen our stretches. Listening to our bodies is essential to avoid injury while we continue to test and extend the limitations of our body to improve our yoga abilities.

A learning environment
With this in mind, when we practice with a room full of others, it is sometimes difficult to completely resist the desire to have a quick look at what others are doing.

But we dont necessarily have to feel guilty from these indiscretions. yoga class is a learning environment, and there is a lot that we can learn and benefit from our curiosity if we remember that we are not in competiti...more

yoga Instructor Training - yoga and Arthritis

...ents with arthritis to begin with what is comfortable. Some students may have limited flexibility or may not be able to kneel. Remind them that overcoming difficulties, while accepting your capabilities, is an essential part of yoga. yoga is not about competition; this should be a core value already present in your instruction.

Single leg raises, shoulder stretches, and neck exercises, are a good start to get the student ready for more challenging poses. Hand clenching...more

yoga is Self Improvement

... each yoga session, many students commonly mention how good they feel. yoga classes, or yoga sessions, give the practitioner a chance to discard negative feelings, worries, tension, and stress. This gives the average yoga student a simple way to prioritize lifes daily problems.

As a result of this, the yoga student is able to set and prioritize goals. Whether it is a serious goal or a whim, ideas that produce seeds of thought become reality, especially when followed by action. This formula will produce even more bursts of positive energy within the mind, resulting in a productive and positively charged mind-set.

yoga students should be taught to identify, and when ...more

Getting Healthy with yoga

... This study found people who regularly practiced yoga and meditation, exercised and watched their diet lost more weight than those who exercised, and ate a balanced diet, but did not practice yoga.

Additionally yoga can improve your range of motion in your hips, reducing lower back pain. A study done at The american College of Sports Medicine, suggest that yoga increases lower back flexibility and decreases pain. It was a small study conducted on older women age 44-62. Persistent back pain however should always be professional diagnosed before embracing on any exercise program ...more

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