Getting Yoga Instructor Training

Did you think that yoga instructor training was all about the physical poses? You will be happy to know that there is more involved in order to become a quality yoga trainer. There are many different facets which you will need to become familiar with and a good program will encompass all of these. Remember that yoga is not just about the physical body...it's about the individual's wellbeing as a whole. Therefore, you will be called upon to learn such things as proper diet, meditation and enlightenment techniques. Here are some aspects that a good yoga instructor training program will cover:

Asanas:

Asanas is the term used for the actual physical exercises that are done during a yoga routine. These include an array of positions ranging from seated, to standing, to inversions. The poses serve a number of purposes including strengthening the muscles and encouraging flexibility. Beginner asanas tend to be very simple and get more complex as the student advances. The key to avoiding injury is getting the student to be comfortable with their own limitations and not try to push themselves too hard, or else there is a risk of muscle strain. Yoga instructor training will help you to spot instances where this may be happening.

Relaxation and Meditation:

A body is only as strong as the mind which propels it. The aim of the meditation and relaxation techniques is to strengthen and focus the mind. Being able to lead students to do this properly is essential as a yoga instructor. Training is therefore necessary and a good program will not leave this important component out. It is believed that there are seven chakras in the human body. These are essentially energy centers and they need to be kept open enough so that the energy does not become trapped or blocked in any way. There are meditation techniques which teach how to release the energy of the chakras. This is just the beginning of learning meditation.

Mudras:

The main purpose of the mudras is to channel the flow of energy throughout the body and to the brain. It is a long held belief in many cultures that improper energy flow can cause all sorts of problems within the body. The mudras themselves are positions, mainly of the hands, in which enough pressure is applied to stimulate the psychic channels without causing the nails to turn white. If this happens then the level is pressure is too great and yoga instructor training must teach how to recognize this point or students may not get the full benefit.

Yamas and Niyamas:

Unlike many other disciplines, yoga is not only about the fitness of the body. It aims to exercise the mental and spiritual states, as well as the physical. A balance between these three translates into all aspects of life and this is something that yoga instructor training must focus on. There are ten guidelines which students must be made aware of, not as strict rules but rather as things they should take into consideration before they perform any action. These are:

o Ahimsa

o Asteya

o Aparigraha

o Brahmacharya

o Satya

o Santosha

o Shaucha

o Ishwara-Pranidhana

o Swadhyaya

o Tapas

A good yoga instructor training program is a must for anyone who wishes to take up the discipline as a career. It's even good if you just want to learn a little more about yoga in general. You'll be able to use a great deal of what you learn in your daily life, even if it's just for relaxation. Who could not benefit by more inner peace through a deeper understanding of the state? You've got to be careful though. As with anything, learning yoga is something that you want to do correctly. The rising popularity of this form of exercise has also seen an accompanying increase in the number of classes being offered. Not all of these will be suitable for your needs.

Sherry Holistan is a Hatha, Vinyasa and Bakti Yoga Practitioner. For insights into yogatraininganswers.com/yoga-teacher-training-courses Yoga Instructor Training Courses please visit yogatraininganswers.com yogatraininganswers.com