Yoga Certification - What You Need To Know

Yoga certifications should not be that easy to acquire. After all, the entire reason behind certification is to ensure the quality and certification loses all meaning when potential instructors that have lesser levels of competence and yoga schools that are questionable become certified. Certification standards that are poor will end up hurting the students due to improper technique and might lead to injuries and the students certainly will not be getting there moneys worth.

Accompanied along with the yoga craze that is sweeping the globe, the practice that was started in ancient India has been co-opted into becoming the basis of a multi-billion dollar industry. Just in the United States alone people end up spending in excess of 3 billion USD per year on classes for yoga and associated yoga equipment.

It's no big surprise that numerous amounts of people with only minimal knowledge on the practice of yoga are attempting to get in on a piece of the action. As a result of this behavior, numerous McYoga type of schools or schools of yoga that are of lower quality have been springing up like so many pimples on a teenagers face all over the nation.

The desire for the would be practitioners of this sacred and ancient practice to learn which schools are legitimate and which are the ones that need avoiding have subsequently led to the practice of yoga certification.

Accreditation of Yoga Schools

Yoga certifications official bodies themselves are a highly discriminating sort. Some will if a particular school will end up teaching a specific type of yoga, for example. Some in depth research will help a person to reveal which yoga certification bodies will be of the greatest assistance for the type of yoga that a person is interested in.

You will also find that there are general practice yoga certification groups for instance Yoga Alliance in the USA that might even assist you to locate schools that are properly accredited in any form or yoga in your local area.

When searching for a school for yoga or an instructor for yoga, always proceed with the same precautions that you would normally take if you were thinking of attending any other school. Yoga certification ought to be constantly checked and rechecked. If a certain school gets certification, always do more research on that certification.

There are some yoga certifications that can be purchased on the internet without having any true assurance of proficiency from the instructor or any type of quality from the school. When your own health as well as your own personal money is at stake, you can never take too many precautions to ensure a successful outcome.

Frequently you will find that there are some instructors that will claim to practice a specific form of yoga that they will claim to have created on their own. As such it is not probable that this type of practice will be given yoga certification from any official body that certifies orthodox yoga practices.

Even though there might be some instructors who are providing actual advantages with their particular system, it will be difficult to discern which do as numerous others will simply be hucksters who end up claiming to have created their own system so that they can dodge questions of certifications.

Try Yoga for Insomnia

Some people walk into their bedrooms and just pass out. You envy them because you can't do that. You have insomnia: you can't get to sleep easily, and when you do and you wake up, you can't get back to sleep. Why not try Yoga for insomnia? Yoga can help relax you enough to let you sleep. When incorporated into your daily routines, you will notice that you get more sleep. Results like that count, especially when your insomnia is stress related.

You may have to do some research, as there are different schools or types of Yoga. You can start by Googling up Yoga online, to read more about this. But you may be taken aback by so much information about the subject. Also, Yoga sometimes is packaged in press releases with religious undertones. But you only need Yoga for insomnia.

What you could do is find a Yoga class, whose Yoga instructor can walk you through what Yoga will be taking from your usual work week and weekends. Yoga, as a routine exercises, is no different from scheduled work outs. The difference is the effect on your sanity and peace of mind. Think of your mind as a stressed out clenched fist. Yoga's exercises can help you slide down from that tension and let your tight fist slowly unclench and relax. That helps a lot in getting you to sleep.

If you want to practice Yoga at home, you could do three things. Stay online and research until you find a site that provides exercises without too much reading into Yoga's history. You can print the exercises and their directions and follow them. Or you could hire a Yoga instructor who will guide you through the stretching exercises and postures, all in the familiar and safe haven of your home. Or you could buy a book on Yoga and try out the illustrated stretching exercises and positions there. The benefits of all three options is that you stay at home, free to do Yoga at your time and pace, and most probably, before going to bed.

Please try to consult your doctor about your trying Yoga, just in case some positions may result in some injury or may aggravate an existing medical condition. The books may mention this, but one advantage of a Yoga instructor is that he or she can assess you and your body as to the state of readiness of both for Yoga exercises.

Before you dive into searching for Yoga websites, books, or nearby Yoga classes, what most information on Yoga will tell you about its connection to insomnia, is this. Yoga's stretching and its many relaxation exercises will help you sleep, that there's no age cap on practicing Yoga, and that's its insertion into your routines will overall benefit your health and peace of mind.

Regardless of the type of Yoga for insomnia you will be practicing, you will probably be stretching to relax your body, doing deep breathing, and visualization exercises. Note that all three activities run counter to what a stressed out person usually does, which is going through the day with a tense body, not breathing deeply, and visualizing problems. Yoga tries to counter that and help you sleep.

Yoga Helps Fight Mid-Life Bulge

Related Link: Yoga Mats

Copyright © 2005 Daily News Central

Yoga practice helps middle-aged people lose weight and keep it off, suggest new studies published in the online journal Alternative Therapies In Health and Medicine.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center surveyed 15,500 men and women to assess their weight and yoga histories between the ages of 45 and 55.

For purposes of the study, regular yoga practice was defined as practicing at least 30 minutes once a week for four or more years.

20-Pound Gap

Statistics showed that the subjects who were of normal weight at the age of 45 and did not practice yoga consistently gained about 10 pounds, while those who performed regular yoga routines lost 3 pounds during that same 10-year period -- a difference of 13 pounds.

There was a wider gap between people who were overweight at the age of 45. The non-yoga group gained about 14 pounds, while the yoga group lost 5 pounds -- a difference of almost 20 pounds.

It is not likely that yoga's fat-fighting potential is due to the physical activity itself, according to the study's lead author, Alan R. Kristal, DrPH.

"During a very vigorous yoga practice you can burn enough calories to lose weight, but most people don't practice that kind of yoga," he notes.

Body Awareness a Factor

"From my experience, I think it has to do with the way that yoga makes you more aware of your body. So when you've eaten enough food, you're sensitive to the feeling of being full, and this makes it much easier to stop eating before you've eaten too much," Kristal explains.

"Most people practice yoga in a way that's not aerobic enough to burn a lot of calories, so it has to be some other reason," adds study co-author Denise Benitez, owner of Seattle Yoga Arts.

"People who regularly practice yoga develop the inner resources to stay with a little bit of discomfort," she says, hypothesizing that those inner resources help people to stay with the discomfort that is caused when they deny themselves junk food.

In order to accurately measure the effects of yoga on weight maintenance and loss, these preliminary findings will need to be replicated, Kristal cautions.

Yoga Tips

The following tips for enhancing one's yoga practice, offers Benitez, may be particularly helpful for those who wish to maintain or lose weight:

1. Practice in a room without mirrors and pay more attention to your internal experience than to your outer performance.

2. Learn to feel sensations more and more subtly, so that you become deeply involved in and curious about small movements -- sometimes called micro-movements.

3. In your poses, find an edge for yourself where you are challenged but not overwhelmed. At this edge, practice maintaining a clear, open and accepting mental state.

4. Give yourself permission to rest when you feel overworked.

5. Pay close attention to what you are saying to yourself as you practice, and make an intentional effort to appreciate your own efforts and innate goodness.

6. Go to class faithfully, arrive early, and talk to a few people before class begins.

7. Buy your own yoga mat and bring it to class.

8. Realize that the development of qualities like patience, discipline, wisdom, right effort, kindness, gratitude and many others will arise from your yoga practice. These qualities create a steady and soft mind.

9. Find a teacher who offers a balance of gentleness and firmness and whose teaching inspires you to practice from your highest self.

10. Recognize that simply attending class is a major statement of courage, self-care, and positive momentum. Realize that you are inspiring others as you become more true to your deepest desires.

About the Author:
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers, healthcare providers and industry professionals: http://www.dailynewscentral.com

Yoga For Pregnant Women

Master your mind!

Gain control over your body!

Be relieved of your stress through the practice of gentle art of Yoga!

Pregnancy is a physical as well as mental experience. Women often becomes hyper aware of all the changes their bodies are going through. Yoga allows pregnant women to adapt to these changes more gracefully and to feel proud and a sense of appreciation for their bodies. Yoga exercises can increase flexibility, strength, circulation and balance. Many pregnant women find that regular yoga exercises help to reduce swelling, back and leg pain, and insomnia.

However, Yoga must be practised very carefully among pregnant women, as improper exercises will bring negative effect on both moms and babies. Here are some tips for pre-natal pregnancy Yoga practise:

1. The general yoga exercises are recommended for the first 2 months. You must consult your doctor and find very experienced Yoga teachers. With proper guidance, you can practice some yoga right into labor. If you new to yoga then you should start slowly.

2. Breathing exercises are beneficial if done twice a day. The breathing exercises provide more oxygen and energy both to the mother and the child.

3. Some yoga poses that can help a pregnant women dealing with the symptoms of pregnancy, ensuring smoother and easier delivery, and faster recovery after childbirth. Pregnant women should pay attention not to overstretch the body - the ligaments around the joints become loose and soft during pregnancy. The abdomen should stay relaxed at all times. Difficult and poses that put pressure on the abdomen and other should NOT be done during advance stages of Pregnancy. No any kind of pain or nausea should be felt during and/or after yoga. If this happens, you should stop yoga practise and contact your GP.

4. When carrying out standing poses with your heels to the wall or use a chair for support to avoid losing your balance and risking injury to both you and your baby.

5. Deep relaxation is crucial to give rest to body and mind, and you will benefit more from a good sleep. Deep relaxation helps the nerve system change from sympathetic to parasympathetic activity. Parasympathetic activity is associated with the restorative processes of the body, which is needed both by the pregnant woman and the child.

We also strongly recommend regular morning and evening walks. Yoga is very individual. For more great Yoga advice, and other pregnant women support services, e.g. domestic cleaning services, babysitter services, personal trainer, chef and many more great services just visit us at www.londonrate.com.

Basics and Benefits of Yoga

Can the power of yoga really cure us? Is it true that if you have a medical ailment, yoga could be the answer to your prayers?

Have you heard about the story of Sue Cohen? She is an accountant, 54 years old who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She claims that after her surgery, she could not lift her arm at all. That was around 5 years ago. Today, Sue Cohen is cancer-free and can move freely. In fact she can even stand on her head! Sue Cohen believes that what cured her was yoga. She was encouraged through yoga to do things she never thought she could, and she did!

Many more have come forward claiming that the power of yoga brought them back to form. They feel lighter in spirit, less to no stress, and many, many more positive changes in their perspective and physical aspect. Some have even reported having been able to lose weight, quit smoking, conquer fears, and improve overall performance.

So, what’s the actual power of yoga that can effect these changes? Or are they just mere assumptions that have no basis or scientific logic behind it?

Technically, the power of yoga is in the mind because there have been no substantive study that will back up any of these claims. While they may be true, they are not confirmed by science, Western science.

There is a huge difference between the Western and Eastern ways. In India, yoga is encouraged because they believe that it is a holistic way of approaching life. Yoga tries to blend all aspects of your life. It is a way of seeing the world. Through meditation, discipline, and a philosophical way of looking at you in conjunction with the world around you, yoga tries to take you to higher levels of “maturity.”

The power of yoga lies in you. You have to practice and learn how to look beyond what is materialistic and earthly, to see a world that can be peaceful and stress-free.

Many celebrities endorse yoga as a means of getting in touch with their inner self. It is also considered by them as a form of mental and physical exercise. These celebrities have made yoga a byword in our society. By practicing it and talking about it, people have come to know, try and appreciate yoga as a form of release.

The power of yoga is not in the postures and poses, but in the meditative breathing techniques that will teach you to develop mental clarity, get you to be happier with life and more relaxed.

The reason many famous people have been doing yoga is probably because they are in very stressful surroundings. They needed a release, and they have found it in yoga. That is the power of yoga.

It brings inner peace which is seen in the faces and attitudes of the yoga advocates. So many have come to be a part of the yoga trend, the figures doubling in the last 5 years alone. If you step into a health club, the probability that you will find a yoga class is pretty high.

You should try it because it can change your life. The power of yoga have worked on millions of people worldwide, why won’t it work on you?

Yoga Classes as Motivation

Naturally, the only way that you'll get good at yoga is to attend yoga classes. If you've never tried yoga before and would like to find out how to get started, yoga classes are a great way to motivate you to learn. You don't need experience before you start yoga classes. All you need is the desire to learn and the motivation to continue. No special equipment is required neither do you need to be an athlete or exceptionally flexible. A person of any age can enroll in yoga classes and successfully complete them. With proper instruction from an expert, you'll become adept at yoga in no time.

Choose Between Home And Attending Classes

If you're brand new to yoga, it's better for you to take yoga classes so that you can learn how to do the basic poses correctly. Once you know the basics, you can try to do the poses at home. But before you do this, you need to be sure you know all the proper techniques. You need to be sure that you'll be able to perform the exercises on your own the same way they were taught in yoga class. Once you've internalized this knowledge, you can explore the option of doing your practices at home.

If you would prefer to do yoga at home instead of continuing with your chosen yoga class, you need to make the decision of the type of yoga you'd like to practice very carefully. The yoga form you practice should meet your individual needs and skills. Don't be afraid to be aware of your limitations. Scheduling also has a big affect on yoga home practices. Decide a time that works best for you and stick with it, just as you would if you went to any out-of-home yoga classes.

Those who prefer to take yoga classes should choose a class that best suits their needs and aptitude. It helps if you enjoy working with the instructor as well. You never want to end up in a yoga class you can't perform or one where you detest the instructor. If you have any health issues or concerns, it's important to let your yoga instructor know this. He or she may be able to cater to your needs and guide you in the poses that are best for you.

Do not do anything that hurts you when you attend yoga classes. It's important not to push yourself beyond your capabilities or acceptable limits for your body. Yoga classes are not always meant to be seen as a challenge, but should be a way for you to work with what your body will allow you to do. Do not overstep your limits otherwise you will hurt yourself. It's not necessary to do what everyone else is doing.

When you attend any yoga classes, dress comfortably. Stretchable clothes are important. Also be sure to remove your shoes and stockings. At home, dim the lights to create a peaceful atmosphere to help you relax.

Yoga - A Cure for Modern Day Stress

As we walk the tightrope between modern life and our animal instincts, the human race strives to find balance. In our bodies, our minds, our environment, in our lives. With our brains over-stimulated and our bodies more sedentary than ever, many of us suffer from the fatigue and imbalance that comes from chronic stress without sufficient recovery. A yoga practice is an excellent way to soothe nerves that are in a constant state of overdrive. Yoga can help give us the ability to live healthy amidst hectic schedules and bustling environments. Why does it seem that as technology evolves at such epic pace we have less and less time at our disposal? Now more than ever we need to slow down, quiet our minds, take a deep breath...

Stress has become a chronic aspect of life for many of us; and it takes its toll. The nervous system senses continued pressure and remains slightly activated, producing extra stress hormones over an extended period of time. This can wear out the body's reserves, leaving us feeling depleted or overwhelmed. Over time the immune system weakens causing illness and fatigue, mood swings, lack of focus, and irritability. Stress is implicated in many health problems from migraines and insomnia to lupus, MS, eczema, poor digestion, weight gain, high blood pressure, and heart attacks. In milder situations a little stress can keep us on our toes and help us to rise to a challenge. However, in today's world chronic, unreleased stress has become prevalent and is taking a tremendous toll on our bodies as it diminishes our enjoyment of life.

In city living the constant noise, electricity, radiation, radiowaves, electromagnetic rays, and infra-red which surround us, create an ever-present stimuli that haggars the central nervous system. We do not yet know long term effects of this "white noise." We may not consciously be aware of it, but our bodies register all that is going on around us. In our jobs and lifestyles we are often engaged in many tasks at once and feeling that we are constantly on the go, and that even when we do have a moment to spare we can't seem to truly relax.

What is Stress?

In a challenging situation the human brain responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus (located in the center of the brain) signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, and release them into the bloodstream. Heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolism increase, blood vessels open wider to allow more blood flow into large muscles groups, making our muscles tense and putting the brain on high alert. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases a dose of stored glucose to increase the body's energy. Sweat is produced to cool the body. This chain reaction of physical effects happens to prepare the human being to react quickly and effectively, enabling them to handle the pressure of the moment. Cortisol is a natural steroid that raises your blood sugar level (so the muscles have plenty of fuel) and suppresses inflammation, but it also suppresses the immune system. The adrenal hormones are catabolic, which means they foster biological processes that burn energy and break down cellular structures. If you activate the adrenal glands over and over again without sufficient recovery in between, your body becomes depleted and exhausted.

Stress is necessary for the human to remain self-sufficient; to survive. In the jungle, ancient man conjured stress hormones when needed to fight a bear or a tiger, or to survive extreme weather conditions. With a concrete defensive action stress hormones in the blood get used up entailing reduced stress effects and symptoms of anxiety. In modern life some stress situations sharpen us; clear the cobwebs from our thinking, and stimulate faculties to attain our true potential. Each stage of human evolution happened by adapting in order to survive extreme conditions and stressors in our environment, as at this time the body is prepared to act with increased strength and speed while the mind is sharp and focused. Stress and a human response to stress is necessary.

However, what we need now is to learn to adapt to our new world, to handle the increase in milder but consistent stress in a better way and to learn to release before it affects us in a negative manner. When we fail to counter a stress situation these chemicals and hormones remain unreleased in the body and bloodstream for a long period of time. This leads to a long list of symptoms such as tense muscles, unfocused anxiety, dizziness and rapid heartbeat, and compels the mind-body to in an almost constant alarm state in preparation to fight or run away (known as the fight or flight response).

Accumulated stress can increase the risk of both acute and chronic psychosomatic illnesses, and cause everything from headaches, irritable bowel syndrome

, frequent cold and fatigue, to diseases such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, heart ailments and even cancer. Many medical doctors and psychologists go as far as to say that 70 - 90 % of visits by adults to primary care physicians are for stress related problems.**

How Yoga Affects Stress

Enhance the body's natural functions:

To recover from the exhaustion associated with chronic stress, we need to do things that turn off the adrenal hormones and promote secretion of anabolic hormones. Certain yoga poses, such as inversions help to stimulate glands in the brain (Pituitary, Pineal). Moving into the ALPHA state is very important. The alpha state is considered the ideal waking state, where we reach the pinnacle of our creative thought process while the body is in a healing cycle. Alpha state is often attained during savasana; final resting pose in yoga practice.

Yoga's smooth, deep, symmetrical breathing, twists, stretches and balancing postures help to enhance the body's natural functions, keeping the spine, house of the nervous system supple, enhancing flow of fluids in the spine and stimulating glands and circulation of blood and lymph throughout the rest of the body. Muscles are lengthened and toxins are released. Pranayam (breath exercises) and poses such as cat where we roll along the spine with breath can help to flush and clear the lung tissue.

Yoga innately helps us to create balance; to know our bodies, to recognize when we are not balanced both on and off of the mat. On a purely physical level hatha yoga creates strength, flexibility, grace. Part of Yoga's philosophy is to take the approach of strengthening and healing the body in the process of healing and cleansing the mind. Yoga views the body as having many layers. Asana (physical yoga postures) affect the body but also these deeper layers, en route to creating a whole, balanced self. Hatha yoga practice creates unobstructed energy flow.

Release Tension:

Stressed out individuals tend to carry a great deal of physical tension in their bodies. Yoga helps to unlock and release these tensions before they can accumulate over time and become chronic physical and psychological conditions. As we release physical blockages, toxins, and limitations from the body we also do so in mind, spirit, and emotions. The benefits of yoga postures (asana), breathing (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana) include increased body awareness, release of muscular tension and increased coordination between mind-and body which leads to better management of stress and cultivates an overall feeling of well being

During the resting poses in yoga such as child's pose, abdominal tension is released. This allows internal organs to unwind promoting deep breathing and enhancing digestive and reproductive functions. This deep rest affords the central nervous system much needed time in ‘para-sympathetic' mode (relaxed calm state, free of the "flight or flight" stress response) in order to recover and rejuvenate. Creating focus through a series of specific bodily poses also helps us to truly take our mind off of work and other stressors.

The Breath:

In normal conditions the body follows a natural breath pattern that is slow and fairly regulated. Under stress when the body shows symptoms such as tightening of muscles, distractions, anxiety, hyperactivity and angry reactions, breathing becomes quick and shallow. One tends to hold one's breath frequently. With restricted breathing inflow of oxygen is diminished. Lungs are unable to exhale the stale airs and residual toxins build up inside the body. Stiff muscles restrict the circulation of blood that so even less oxygen comes in and fewer toxins are removed. This in turn affects the healthy regeneration of cells and can accelerate aging and disease. Medical studies show that the oxygen-starved cells are the major contributing factors in cancer, immunity deficiency, heart disease and strokes. Breathing also affects our state of mind and consequently makes our thinking either confused or clear. Lengthening and deepening breath in yoga creates a more balanced state of being. A change in breath pattern creates a change in the metabolic process, emotions, endorphins, internal chemical reactions, and the release of specific hormones. Mind affects body; body affects mind.

Mind Body Connection:

The sensitivity that comes through a yoga practice helps to develop a level of skill in cultivating, observing and choosing one's posture, breath, emotions, and diet more wisely. As we practice we learn to listen with our bodies. Whenever we experience an emotion, our bodies register this emotion and mirror it. The next time you get angry, stressed, or afraid, stop and notice exactly what is happening in your own body in that moment. Which muscles got tense? How has your breath been affected? How did your posture change? Is your heart beating faster? What affects you and why? Are you able to notice it as it happens?

Over time yoga helps us to let go of unwanted emotional and physical patterns. Yoga practice is great for providing recovery and can also help you deal with stressful circumstances without having such a strong negative reaction. The mindfulness - mind-body awareness cultivated with yoga practice allows us to realize emotions as they arise; sensing what is the cause of the emotion and how that emotion affects the body/mind. As Patanjali says in his Yoga Sutras**, "Yoga quells the fluctuations of the mind." It slows down the mental loops and patterns of frustration, regret, anger, fear, and desire that can cause stress. No matter what age, we can release past traumas, feelings of guilt or inadequacy, denial, patterns of feeling unable to communicate or connect, patterns of addiction, (all of which lead to more guilt and denial). We need to clear out these patterns in order to stay freshly alive or else there is an accumulation, a blockage, both physical and mental. We need to continually release these psycho/somatic holding patterns. As we release blockages, toxins, and tightness physically, we also do so in mind, spirit, emotions.

Awareness from the inside out and from the outside in are necessary. They are one in the same. Through a regular yoga practice we develop a balanced state on a consistent basis and this translates into our lives off the mat. We become better equipped to handle everything that comes our way in life; to handle life with more grace, ease, and presence, from a more objective point of view. By staying open we keep on top of the game, in the moment, able to truly enjoy each day to the fullest. The way we deal with coworkers and friends or family will innately be transformed. The very way we perceive things around us and who we are as a person from moment to moment will be transformed. Our sense of self-perception is the root of our own life. From here the world around us takes shape. As we become more aware of ourselves we are able to be less judgmental, more open, more honest, and take things less personally. True wisdom comes from within, from self knowledge and a clear eye.If you learn to quiet your mind, you'll be likely to live longer, and fuller, with better health. Yoga and meditation offer some of the same benefits as antidepressants-without the side effects.

It is no wonder yoga has soared to such heights of popularity. Through yoga practice we begin to find a sense of wholeness. We become more aware. We create balance in our bodies, in our minds, in our lives. As we evolve individually and come closer to an open, authentic state of being, we also evolve as a species, creating a better world for us all.