Bright Career Prospects With Yoga Teacher Training

happinesslifetime.com Yoga Certification programs conducted in European countries have gained a momentum in the last decade. As increasing number of people are now heading to Yoga for numerous health benefits the demands of certified Yoga instructors is growing tremendously.

Yoga is a traditional form of exercise that includes certain postures and movements. Two most important advantages of practicing are prevention of disorders and ailments and maintenance of health and fitness in daily life. Other methods of exercises like gymnastics, athletics, aerobics, games, and various other forms are not as good as Yoga when it comes to the results. Due to all these reasons more and more people are referring to Yoga for treating ailments and living a healthier life. Especially in the western countries, an increasing number of people are joining Yoga classes for achieving healthier mind and body.

The Certification programs conducted at numerous camps are in huge demand across the country. Owing to the increasing demand of certified Yoga teachers and the bright career prospects, happinesslifetime.com Yoga Instructor Certification programs are attended by numerous individuals wanting to learn and teach Yoga. Those who have completed happinesslifetime.com Yoga Teacher Training program can setup a successful career by teaching Yoga to the people. Another advantage of working as a certified Yoga instruction is that while teaching Yoga to the students, one also practices all the postures and stretches himself/herself. Thus you can maintain a healthy lifestyle for yourself while sharing the benefits of Yoga with others and earning money in the process.

After attending a certified Teacher Training program you can start your career as a Yoga teacher. All you need to do is rent a studio, inform people about your yoga classes by advertising, and start taking classes. If you can't find a place to rent, you can approach the high profile clients, who prefer to take classes at their own place. This way you can also save the investment that is required to rent a studio and continue teaching Yoga without actually investing a penny from your pockets. There are several such high-end clients who would love to learn Yoga from someone with happinesslifetime.com Yoga Instructor Certification. You can approach your friends and family to refer you name to their colleagues and friends and kick-start you career.

If this article has inspired you and you have decided to join a happinesslifetime.com Yoga Certification program from a reliable and genuine source then you can refer to healthandyoga.com. The website is a complete Yoga information Bank that also conducts Yoga Teacher Certification programs. Besides this, it also offers holiday packages in Yoga retreats, and provides Yoga products like neti pot, mala beads and enema equipment, etc.

James Williams is a certificated yoga instructor. He is providing healthandyoga.com/cert Yoga Certification to various people ac-cross global so that they can become certified Yoga Training Teacher and help people to become fit and active with help of healthandyoga.com/cert Yoga Teacher Training program.

How You Can Get The Most Out Of Your Exercise Routine With Intervals And Body Weight Workouts

You know, you really don't need to go to a gym for to get a good workout. While walking or jogging is always good exercise, you can spice it up with something called intervals.

Or, if you are looking to build strength and muscle, you can do bodyweight exercises like pushups for the upper body and stair or hill walking/running and squats for the lower body.

For the mid section, crunches are the time honored favorite, but you can also do the plank. This is where you hold yourself in the push up position statically for a period of time. You can rest on your hand(s) or elbow(s) depending on your fitness level.

Look, everyone knows that running does a lot for your heart. It also burns tons of calories. But running really doesn't do too much for your upper body or core strength.

On the flip side, things like yoga and Pilates will address your core, balance, and flexibility. But, most of the time, they are not good cardio exercises.

However, more complete fitness routines are integrated with cardio exercises. They also combine resistance strength training, conditioning your core, in addition to balance and flexibility training.

What's ideal is to figure out how to make an exercise routine that will hit each area. And, one that doesn't keep you in the gym for a quarter of your life.

What people are finding out is it's necessary to combine strength training with cardio intervals and core work all within one workout session. This is becoming popular because the majority of folks don't want to spend countless hours at the gym.

Recent research underscores the benefits of interval training. This is short, repetitive sessions of high, intense exercise. This method will actually produce benefits very similar to the traditional cardio sessions on a treadmill or elliptical without taking as long.

Repeating, high intensity cardio intervals use alternating levels of intensity for short periods of time. So, you're on a treadmill; Rather than running at a constant speed of 5.6 mph on a treadmill, change it up.

Run at speeds differing from 5-8 mph and/or change the level of incline. Do this for 30-60 seconds at a time to get your heart rate up. Then slow it down for a minute or two and let your heart rate return more to normal. Do this for several intervals for a total of 10 minutes.

Move onto strength training. Using compound movements like push ups, squats, lunges, and pull ups, work in a super set of movements that hit the major muscle groups. Focus on 8-12 reps of each exercise as able. Do this super set in intervals also for 10 minutes.

Next move onto core conditioning including 10-20 reps of crunches, plank and side planks 30-60 seconds each, followed by leg lifts 10-20 reps, followed by supine bridging 30-60 seconds. Do 3 sets of this sequence eventually building up to 10 minutes total.

Once comfortable with the movements doing each combination twice will give you an intense 60 minute total body workout. You're moving the blood back and forth from the upper body to the lower body; elevating your heart rate to a higher level, then doing an active recovery.

As with any exercise routine, slow progression with intensity is advised for your body to adapt to the new demands. Instead of "doing the exercises", it's more important to "do the exercises well". This takes focus and a deliberate intention to listen to how your body responds to them.

Generally, this type of exercise program, if done correctly will require 2-3 days recovery time for the body. This means that your workouts will generally be twice weekly.

Bryan W. is a physical therapist and fitness professional. With over 16 years experience he teaches his clients how to maximize their fitness level using simple and effective training strategies. In addition he teaches his clients workoutswithoutweights.net Body Weight Workouts and maintains a blog at workoutswithoutweights.net workoutswithoutweights.net

Yoga Myth - Advanced Physical Prowess

There are many myths which surround Yoga. Most of them are circulated by people who have never practiced Yoga of any kind. Yet, there are some myths about Yoga, which have been accepted as fact, by Yoga practitioners. It is difficult to shatter an "urban legend, but let's look at one of them.

"An advanced Yogi can perform amazing postures and feats of physical prowess."

While this can be true, and Hatha Yoga practice can lead to physical mastery, feats of physical prowess can be performed by young people, who never practiced any form of Yoga before. Please bear in mind that there are many forms of Yoga, which are not based upon physical exercise.

Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga, are primary forms of Yoga, which have advanced practitioners, who do not have to perform physical feats to be known as "advanced." Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was an advanced Karma Yogi, who inspired non-violent civil rights movements within India, and around the world.

The flaw in all of this "labeling" of Yoga practitioners as advanced, intermediate, and beginner, stems from the idea that Yoga is a physical exercise. Pilates and weight lifting are physical exercise systems, and they require a mental presence in their practice. All forms of Yoga require a mental, physical, and spiritual presence in the practice.

Hatha Yoga (union by physical mastery) does not represent all forms of Yoga. If Hatha Yoga were the only style in existence, it still would require teachers with experience and deep knowledge on a vast subject.

Any child can perform amazing athletic feats of flexibility, but would you place your absolute faith in the ability of a child to teach you Hatha Yoga? Would you be concerned about your safety, your physical limits, and the teacher's experience level?

"Experience" is a keyword, because experience is what really separates the advanced Yoga practitioner from the rest. An experienced Hatha Yoga teacher will guide you through the many aspects of Yoga, such as: Asana, Meditation, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha, Yama, Niyama, and much more.

If you are practicing in a Hatha Yoga class, which contains postures, but does not contain meditation or Pranayama, you are probably practicing "Yoga Fitness." There is a saying: "Half a loaf is better than none." This has never been truer than it is in the case of Hatha Yoga's exposure to the world.

It may take generations before Yoga practitioners stop to read the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swami Swatmarama. The Yoga Sutras, by Maharshi Patanjali, also deserve more contemporary attention. At this time, there are many Yoga books to read, but the classics are worthy of note, and should be "required reading" for advanced Yoga practitioners.

© Copyright 2007 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. riyoga.com riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Buddhism and Yoga - A Brief Summary

Buddhist Yoga

Hatha Yoga is enjoying unprecedented growth globally and is being used as a tool for physical fitness, physical therapy, and spiritual development. Modern practice is derived from ancient Tantric exercises, but less well known are the systems of Buddhist Yoga, which share a common lineage with the ancient discipline.

History of Buddhist Yoga

"Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked"

References to Hatha Yoga predate the Buddhist period (6th century B.C.) by many centuries. It was originally developed as an integral part of the Spiritual Path, and as preparation for higher meditative practices. With the birth of Buddha in the 6th Century BC and subsequent popularity of the Buddha's teachings meditation became one of the main expression of Spiritual Practice along with exercises designed to still the mind towards this state.

More than 500 years after the Buddha's death, two great centres of Buddhist ideas were established in India. Nalanda became the centre of the Hinayana - Narrow Path Buddhism and Mingar became the centre for Mahayana - Great Path Buddhism.

The Narrow Path Buddhism claimed orthodoxy, whilst the Greater Path adopted a more liberal view of the teachings of the Buddha and also incorporated some practices not directly touched upon by the Buddha during his life. This included some indigenous Tantric practices, including Hatha Yoga Exercises.

The Buddha and Yoga

"This calm steadiness of the senses is called yoga.

Then one should become watchful, becomes yoga comes and go."

It is thought that an Indian disciple of the Buddha, Batuo transmitted Zen from India to China in the early 6th century C.E. and most modern Zen lineages trace their past directly to this monk and the Shaolin Monastery where he taught.

According to tradition, it was said he found the monks at Shaolin too weak to make satisfactory progress on their Spiritual Paths. So Batuo secluded himself in a cave for nine years, emerging with a solution (including Yoga) to the health problems of the Shaolin Monks and powerful practises to assist their spiritual development.

These practices became a set of Yogic exercises.

Before the arrival of the Batuo, meditation was the primary method used by Chinese Buddhists for seeking enlightenment. Yoga methods used in India had not been passed to the Chinese Monks

Buddhism, Meditation and Yoga

"Yoga is bodily gospel."

Early Buddhism incorporated meditation into its practice. In fact the oldest expression of Yoga is found in the early sermons of the Buddha. An innovative teaching of the Buddha was that meditation should be combined with the practice of mindfulness with which Yoga could assist the practitioner to this end.

So the difference between the Buddha's teaching and the yoga presented in other early Indian texts is striking. Meditation alone is not an end, according to the Buddha, and even the highest meditative state is not liberating.

Instead of attaining a nothingness, the Buddha taught that some sort of mental activity must take place: based on the practice of mindful awareness.

The Yogic thoughts of the Buddha also departed from other traditional thoughts and the essence was that their point of reference became the sage who is liberated in life.

Buddhism and Yoga: Where the Paths Cross

"Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind."

In the forests of Vedic India, students followed teachers who taught them in the path of liberation called yoga, which means "union." Three centuries after the life of the Buddha his teachings of yoga were compiled by Patanjali as the Yoga Sutras, and another two thousand years later, the teachings of both Buddha and Patanjali have found a new home in the West.

Buddha advocated training the physical body as well as the mind. "He knows himself through internal wisdom and takes care of his body through external discipline"

A healthy body made Spiritual Cultivation less difficult, and the same yoga exercises that could strengthen the physical body could also be used to prepare the mind for liberation."

Yoga Channels and Chakras

"Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are."

Buddhist and Yoga practitioners use three energy channels and seven chakras in their working model of major energetic/spiritual structures.

The channels that Buddhist and Yoga Practitioners use are the central channel (Sushumna) which runs up the middle of the body, the left channel (Ida) which runs on the left side of the spine and the right channel (Pingala) which runs on the spine's right side. These channels begin at the base of the spine and end at the Brow Chakra.

The left side channel is considered negative (Yin) and the right side channel is considered positive (Yang). The middle channel is thought to be neutral.

Buddhist Yoga Exercises

"Yoga accepts. Yoga gives."

It is thought that the Buddha taught three different sets of Buddhist Yoga exercises. These Yoga exercises met with stiff resistance from many in the established Buddhist community with this Yoga eventually becoming "secret" practices, passing to only a few disciples in each generation. It is thought that this secret Yoga tradition will lead to a healthy body and an integrated emotional life.

18 Buddha Hands Yoga

"Yoga is difficult for the one whose mind is not subdued."

This is one set of yoga exercises that traces its origin right back to the Buddha. One system used today contains 18 chapters of from one to three exercises each. Additionally there is a standing yoga position following each chapter to allow energy that has been mobilized during the exercise to return to balance.

Like Hatha Yoga, this technique is directed at regulating body, breath, and mind. The purpose of this Yoga exercise is to increase the quantity and quality of energy in the body and to facilitate a smooth balanced flow of energy, remove any obstacles, thus calming the mind, and nourishing the spirit.

Thus Yoga exercises contribute to a healthy, vitally alive body and balanced mind and assist in positive spiritual growth.

As a system, 18 Buddha Hands Yoga is unique in several ways. The 18 Buddha Hands Yoga system uses both moving and standing postures. This Yoga system thus helps to develops stillness in movement, and movement in stillness.

The Middle Way is an apt description of the functions of 18 Buddha Hands Yoga systems. On the physical level, the Yoga practitioner gently exercises the whole body, opening and balancing the acupuncture meridians. On a deeper level, the 18 Buddha Hands Yoga system is designed to energize and balance the two side channels, thereby opening the central channel leading towards perfect stillness and a precursor to higher conscious states.

Although the 18 Buddha Hands Yoga system was originally an integral part of Zen Buddhism, it remains a valuable tool for anyone interested in using Yoga for physical well being, mental harmony, and consequential spiritual growth

From the Buddha's Face Buddhism 101 Project

thebuddhasface.co.uk thebuddhasface.co.uk

DEVAS - Subtle Beings in Nature

The beliefs of all philosophers, now confirmed by science, acknowledge that all forms of varying grades of matter, from the gross material to the subtlest, are animated by natural energies and intelligence - from the most infinitesimal to the astronomical magnitudes of the cosmos.

If we open our minds to the existence of an unseen order of spiritual intelligence in beings animating all nature and its forms, we would begin to know the life within the form, just as the astronomer or scientist aspires to seek an understanding of the universal intelligence and power that directs the cosmos.

Although using our own eyes, we may not be able to see stars that are millions of light years distant, nor have keenness of sight to observe tiny bacterial life at work, we trust in the technological means man has developed to demonstrate for us the reality of life forms that exist, but that are not yet capable of being perceived by the normal human faculties.

There are uniquely different individuals who have sighted ethereal ghosts, nature spirits, received visions of spiritual teachers and are familiar with the angelic beings who inhabit what is sometimes referred to as the 'parallel world' of subtle intelligences that exist in spheres that interpenetrate the material world we know.

Some clairvoyants can see energy radiation from flowers and observe the tiny intelligences we call fairies, elves, sprites and so on. Most cultures have traditional terms and language that describes them. Others using extended sight see sparks of energy generated by cats, or the astral forms of the deceased that we call the ghosts.

Clairvoyants with well developed psychic senses see the light and colors emanating from a living human being and with experience and training become skilled in interpreting the It may be that all forms have an indwelling life intelligence or soul. To be comfortable with this idea requires an imagination beyond the familiar observations of the material scientist. However, it is the world of reality to the metaphysical scientist where soul and spirit represent higher and finer energies that are just as real as those observed in the material sense.

These invisible energy worlds are not new in human experience or cognition and in our historical reference, and artistic depictions. They survive in the substance and stories of traditional legend. Here, ghosts are accepted as the disembodied energies of a human intelligence; saints are depicted as radiating light or spiritual power; devils are depicted as malefic forms and influences of darkness. Angels are conceived as beings of light, color and beneficence and in Asian lore are known as Devas.

Devas are our invisible companions. Until we can see them with our own eyes, we must rely upon our senses that tell us sometimes of an unseen presence. Sometimes this happens spontaneously but we can also extend our awareness of them deliberately. We can best do this in solitude or in nature but also in our own place of peace.

It can be that we feel conscious of a loved one who is not physically present, or feel that we are uplifted into a tranquil mood. If we are to become more aware of these benign angelic beings who exist to carry out the divinely directed natural processes. If we wish to know more about them, we need to open our consciousness to consider the possibility and take comfort in the fact that we are not alone and that angelic beings are always with us.

Sally Janssen is a writer and educator who from an early age trained in Raja Yoga--that branch of the ancient science that deals with the mind and its complexities. She is well known in Australia for her skill in demonstration of the Hatha Yoga practices and has gained an international reputation both for these abilities and her wisdom in the training of the mind and the study of consciousness. Many years of her life have been dedicated to teaching and training western teachers in the fundamentals of classical yoga that are based upon spiritual values and the quest for greater spiritual understanding. In her wonderfully readable book entitled Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-help Guide she presents simple, self-help practices that help to generate and maintain mental fitness just as the natural principles of physical fitness can be personally applied by us all. This really is a must-read book for us all. Sally also welcomes you to visit her blogs at mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog and also at essence-of-yoga.net essence-of-yoga.net

Yoga Down -- Twist This Mess Around

From sissified gym-class dropout to yoga monster.

"Downward Facing Dog," calls out Kay Wescott, my beloved yoga teacher. Like a dog doing its lazy wake-up stretch, she stands on all fours and stretches her front out long, her body a sinuous upside-down V.

I do my best to follow suit, spreading my fingers wide and pressing my butt into the air (now you be respectful, this is an ancient spiritual tradition). My spine is elongated and I press my heels down toward the floor to stretch out my hamstrings. I am breathing harder now and the sweat begins to drip from my face and pool between my hands. Breathe, I think. As part of my mind calms with the meditative focus on the exertions of my body, another, not-so-quiet voice at the back of my mind whines "How long can this go on?"

"Crescent Moon," calls Kay. My mind is momentarily relieved to let go of that Down Dog pose. I bring my right foot between my hands into a "runner's lunge," relax my left leg to the floor, pressing my hips forward, then calmly bring my hands to my heart in prayer position and breathe. All composed and perfect? As I'm ready, I clasp my hands together and reach them toward the ceiling, pressing my chest forward to gently arch my back into the beautiful curve of a crescent moon. I notice in the mirror that my beautiful moon is tilting just a little. "Okay yoga-monsters, back into Down Dog," cheers Kay. And so it goes through the hour: stretching, pressing, breathing, thrusting, holding, focusing. Calm mind. Whining mind. Vain mind. Humble mind.

We've seen yoga. Sun Salutations on Good Morning America and Rosie O'Donnell. According to the statistics, as many as 12 million Americans do yoga. Forty per cent of health and fitness centers offer hatha yoga. A recent search on Amazon.com pulls up more than 1,350 yoga book titles. And now Madonna. America is abuzz about yoga.

Celebrity interest in yoga has definitely fueled the media hype. During the '70s Jeff Bridges, Ruth Buzzi, and Tom Smothers posed for Bikram Choudhury's yoga text. In the '80s Sting and David Duchovny became devotees and Ali MacGraw released her own yoga video. During the '90s Julia Roberts said to In Style magazine about her yoga regime, "I don't want it to change my life. Just my butt."

And, of course, in the '90s the one-time material girl herself, Madonna, got serious about her daily yoga practice. Her last recording, Ray of Light, was deeply inspired by yoga teachings. She studied Sanskrit and chanting for one of the songs. In The Next Best Thing, co-starring openly gay dreamboat Rupert Everett, Madonna plays an ashtanga yoga teacher (ashtanga is an advanced style of yoga requiring more strength and endurance than the better known hatha yoga). A chance to get paired with Rupert--lord gracious, that's more than enough spiritual inspiration to take up a serious yoga practice.

But aside from the hype and the heavy breathing, Westerners find yoga one of the most accessible and profound of the Eastern disciplines. Yoga translated from the Sanskrit means "union" or to "yoke" together, yoga's goal being to "yoke" together the body and the mind; the more spiritual, esoteric, forms of yoga emphasize clearing the mind, calming the spirit, and enhancing the body-mind connection. In India, there are various limbs of the path that attract different personalities and spiritual temperaments. These are controlling the intellect (raja), mastering the body (hatha), spiritual action (kriya), selfless action (karma), heartfelt devotion (bhakti), knowledge or wisdom (jnana), sexual ritual (tantra), sacred sounds (mantra), and subtle energy or chakra (kundalini). Each limb, or school, has centuries of sacred texts and teachers to draw from. One's relationship to one's mind and one's body becomes a spiritual path.

1994 was the turning point in my relationship to my body. The previous year had been a doozy. I watched as my friend Michael Mosley's body and life were ravaged with the last stages of AIDS. The Enchanted Garden, a business I co-owned, closed leaving me substantially in debt and physically and emotionally exhausted. Being one of those sissified and brainy kids in school, I had hated gym class. In 35 years I had rarely exercised my body. 1993 saw my muscles weaken, my breath shorten, and my weight mushroom to 316 pounds. I decided that drastic measures were needed.

I enrolled at The Lomi School in northern California. As a massage therapist, for years I had heard of Lomi Work, a synthesis of rolfing, gestalt psychotherapy, polarity energy work, meditation, aikido, and yoga. Ann Lasater, one of my massage mentors, is a Lomi associate. Her work and life demonstrated the profound effects Lomi could have when applied with constant focus and attention. When she told me that Robert Hall, one of the school's founders, was an openly gay man, I knew I wanted this work. I know of so few gay men who have committed their lives to spiritual transformation. To attend, I traveled to San Francisco one weekend a month for 11 months, plus went to a five-day residential retreat over the summer.

The first day of class began what would be our daily training routine. One hour of sitting meditation followed by an hour of yoga. As the 24 students were led through a series of yoga postures that first morning, I was the only one in the room who couldn't do the poses. I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore, or in Texas for that matter. Robert Hall, just turned 60 years old, was radiant and amazingly flexible. I knew he had something I desperately needed. That sissy-fied kid from grade school decided to stick it out. Thus began my fascination with a 5,000-year-old discipline.

Flash forward, back to Kay's yoga class. Kay is leading us in The Crow, an advanced pose that challenges even her. Me, I groan audibly in frustration. I just can't seem to get it. The idea is to crouch forward, balancing your knees on your arms, and holding up your whole body with your hands. Yes, I agree, it does not sound possible, but I'm trying, shifting my weight forward and teetering precariously on my hands and big toes. In the perfect world I'd lift my feet into the air and balance gracefully, gazing serenely into the mirrors ahead. In reality I'm huffing and puffing and my face is contorted with struggling. Kay encourages me to be patient and to respect the gifts and limits of my body this morning. She also reminds me that I'm a big crow. I relax my frustration and vow that this year I will master The Crow. The Chinese say it's the year of the Dragon. I say it's the year of the Crow!

It's the year 2000. My weight is down 35 pounds. Yoga has become part of my three-part exercise program: aerobic, strength, and flexibility. I walk, bike, and climb steps for aerobics; I weight-train for strength; and practice yoga for strength and flexibility. In these six years, I have seen how yoga complements the body work I give to clients and that I receive myself. The effects on the muscles and connective tissues are dramatic. I know my own posture is improved and I feel more graceful as I move through space. Thanks to the yoga asanas, or poses, I know I'm more flexible.

Flexibility sounds relatively superficial--"Eh, so I can't touch my toes, what does it really matter?" But it really reaches much deeper than that. The recent Yoga Journal said about flexibility:

"Even if you're active, your body will dehydrate and stiffen with age. By the time you become an adult, your tissues have lost about 15 percent of their moisture content, becoming less supple and more prone to injury. This normal aging of tissue is distressingly similar to the process that turns animal hides into leather. Unless we stretch, we dry up and tan."

Our bodies are a living matrix of tissue, which connect bones, muscles, tendons. Yoga helps keep these connective tissues supple and vital. And since we know the mind and the body are basically intertwined--remember the "yoke"?--this yogic flexibility in our deep-down tissues plays out in our monkey minds. Robert Hall, my Lomi hero, teaches that the microscopic level of connective tissue is where our thoughts and our physical bodies come together. If thought patterns are fearful and contracting, the connective tissues will contract, which distorts the carriage of the skeleton. If the thought patterns are open and expansive, the connective tissue is fluid and flexible. The body remains balanced and poised. Caroline Myss puts it this way, "Your biography becomes your biology."

"Are you ready for that Corpse Pose?" Kay teases. "Lie down on your back and do some long body stretches." I roll my head from side to side a few times to allow it to find its natural resting place. I let my feet splay out. I consciously scan and relax my body. This is the reward after an intense hour of breathing and stretching. As my body cools I'm aware of the peace I feel. My mind is, finally, focused and calm. My emotions are crisply on the surface of my awareness. My spirit is grateful and soaring. Sure, I'm aware of other tightnesses in my body. And yet I am pleased with the progress I've made. Of who I am in this brief moment of relaxation. Satisfied is the feeling that floats across the still surface of my mind. And this is the real reason I continue to practice yoga.

Alan Davidson is the co-author of Healing the Heart of the World with Prince Charles, Carolyn Myss, John Gray, and Neal Donald Walsch. Alan, a Registered Massage Therapist since 1988, is the owner and director of Essential Touch Therapies in Houston, Texas. He has a B.S. from University of Houston, Downtown, with an emphasis on psychology, sociology, philosophy, and religion. Alan is fascinated with the intersection of bodywork, psychology, ritual, and spiritual practice. Having taught massage, meditation, yoga, and human transformation since 1990 he is currently on the teaching staff at NiaMoves Studio. Alan wholeheartedly believes, ?Life is for the fun of it!? Alan can be reached at throughyourbody.com throughyourbody.com

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad-Gita, the most famous of all yoga texts, is a passage of 701 verses in the Mahabharata, one of the three major ancient Sanskrit epics of India and is said to be one of the three longest epic poems in the world. The Gita, as it is commonly referred, recounts the conversation between Arjuna, the reluctant warrior, and Krishna, his spiritual advisor, just prior to the climactic war on the battlefield of Kurukshetra where Krishna reveals that he is God Himself. Essentially, the dialogue between these two men, accounted over the eighteen chapters of the text, explains the meaning and purpose of life and existence.

Much like Christian teachings, the Bhagavad-Gita tells us that death is merely the shedding of the body and that the human soul is immortal. It is the difference between focusing on that which is temporary and that which is permanent. According to Krishna, the origin of human suffering is the disturbance of the mind by the desire of that in the material world. Therefore, one must rid themselves of this desire by stilling the mind through discipline of both the senses and the intellect. But to completely withdraw from action is just as harmful as over indulgence. One must find a medium or a balance. It is the goal of life to liberate the mind and intellect from their involvedness with the natural world and to focus on the glory of the Self by devoting every action to that of the divine. This goal can be achieved through the YOGA'S of meditation, action, devotion, and knowledge.

The eighteen chapters of the Gita teach four of the five schools of Yoga thought. They are Raja Yoga or the path of psychophysical meditation, Jnana Yoga or the path of self transcending knowledge, Karma Yoga or the path of selfless action, and Bhakti Yoga or the path of devotion. Though each path assumes a different approach, essentially their goals are the same, to guide each person past the cycle of reincarnation through the realization of oneness with the ultimate reality. At its core, the Bhagavad-Gita is a tale about devotion. A devotion that is so great one achieves control of passions enabling discipline. This guide to the science of self-realization reveals the nature of consciousness, the self, the universe, and the Supreme. The body changes, but the soul remains the same. Although there are many movie frames in a given film, when seen consecutively they appear as one picture. The same can be said of one's body. It changes every second but appears unchanged.

Copyrighted 2008, Marianne Wells LLC, All rights reserved
Marianne Wells, International Yoga Presenter
Specializing in the Yoga Alliance 200 Hour RYT Teacher Training
mariannewells.com mariannewells.com

Good Reasons to Go to Yoga Conference

Yoga conference is really enjoyable, but frequently the travel in addition to the huge conference fees could be a bit rough on the savings account. Several smart individuals have come up with a marvelous high-tech option - a digital yoga conference. What's excellent with this conference is the reason that it's actually aimed towards yoga experts and yoga instructors. But nevertheless, a number of people would like to experience an actual yoga conference, in which they will personally take part in every activities of the event.

Yoga exercise is actually a journey that often, and unerringly, leads back to you. These days, you can experience a lot more of this journey by attending yoga conferences that offer plenty of amazing benefits to your wellness, well-being and mindset. And these benefits are good points for you to enlist in a yoga conference. By wedding ceremony yoga conventions, you'll be able to: deepen your practice; gain knowledge from the finest yoga teachers on the planet through different course programs; get connected to the yoga community and establish networks in one large place and affair; explore different styles of yoga exercise and discover something totally new; improve your teaching and abilities; go shopping for yoga products and fresh styles with discounts; invigorate your whole body, mind and spirit for health is your ultimate wealth; jump-start your exercise or yoga for the first time; discover new ideas in this new ten years of health; receive free of charge samples or goodies; and lastly, show up at free classes and activities.

Moreover, attending the conference would be enlightening. It can clearly show an individual to take good care of his body. Regardless of whether or not it's very difficult to have time for workout, tend not to fall back on reasons. Prepare physical workouts just like you would in any other essential task. You can also get in physical activity the whole day. In accordance with this, the conference will teach you tips on how to think outside the box in performing yoga exercise. You could take a walk on your own child's music lesson. Go on and use the stairs as a substitute for the elevator at work. Pedal a fixed bike or even perform strength training exercises with resistance hoses as you watch tv in the evening.

Definitely, more and more people are trying to find traveling which can be comforting rather than topsy-turvy, that help them restore their own perception of health rather than have them working anxiously from sight to sight. With yoga conference, individuals can see what exactly they are searching for. It shows over a hundred various centers and retreats for both the amateur and professional yoga practitioners. In addition, each conference includes panel discussions between renowned yogis, keynote speeches by well-known writers and specialists, benefit activities, yoga exercise demos, live music, a community relationship gathering and the yoga marketplace - your one-stop shop for anything yoga.

Yoga Conference are not economical, however the experience and being able to emerge possessing a fresh new understanding of a pose and an appreciation of yoga is priceless. Yoga conferences are grassroots event. You get a really personal experience and actually be able to meet the instructor. It's actually a stunning community meet up. When a chance occurs write it in your planner and start saving those pennies so you can see for yourself what it's all about.

There are lots of practitioners online who offer informative advice in yogafit.com yoga conference and everything else about yoga. Only a known yogafit.com yoga guru can provide you with the best services.

Team and Synergy in Selling Health and Wellness

Synergy is a word that means the "sum of the parts is greater than the whole" simply put it means that, and I'll use the environment we work in as an example, that all of us working together can achieve more than the combined efforts of each individual working by themselves, it also works in reverse.

There are a couple of examples below of how we can make it work with us or let it work against us.

I work within the fitness industry, so I have used examples of what I have seen here in relation to Personal trainers that the center I am involved with has employed, the principles can be applied to any health and wellness business that employs more than one person, in fact any business at all.

The article below is based on sales staff at the gym selling a particular person a gym membership then arranging for that person to be booked in to have the first of 4 complimentary personal training sessions that each new client receives as part of their new membership

I have over time seen a range of personal trainers whose efforts at doing what they are meant to do I.E book in sessions and give the customer an awesome experience, not happen.

They have either turned up late, or not at all, failed to contact their clients when they were meant to, not made any effort to follow up their clients progress etc..etc..

All in all they gave that person a really "lacklustre" experience, certainly not anything that would gain them leads, or referrals or sales of PT packs.

Giving someone the type of service I have just mentioned not only affects that person, who will not give the PT any business, BUT it also affects the salesperson who sold the client their membership, make no mistake you WILL be judged by association!

Do you really think that your likely to get that person refer a friend to you if they have had dismal service? Hardly likely, so there goes income for you.

Number 2 its affects the group and the business as a whole. If you are trying to achieve a team target, it may also mean you may have to listen to the gripes of a irate customer, never mind it was not you that sold him/her their membership it is a fact that a person may often never complain or voice their dissatisfaction with the person directly involved but to others, that means you, it means their friends and their family.

I used the above example in relation to service (or lack thereof) given by PT staff, but it could just as easily be applied to us the sales staff, here's something to think about.

If we're not sending out our welcome letters, following up our new (and old) customers with "courtesy calls asking them how they are enjoying their exercise etc, if we're not asking for referrals from them so their friends and family can enjoy the same experience as they are.

If we're remembering their names and greeting them with a friendly smile then not only are we not doing the job that we are paid for but quite simple we let ourselves down by not giving it the best we can, we let our team members down, and we let down the people that are paying us do what we are meant to do.

If I was stuck in a boring, go nowhere, depressing occupation then I'd be like the other 95%+ plus of people who blame everything and everyone around them, I'd give poor service and not give a damn, I'd march time till Friday then I could go out a try to forget that I'd need to back on Monday.

But I'm not, I'm passionate about what I do, I believe that getting involved in some form of regular exercise will help my clients live a better quality life, and longer.

However I also believe having fun is critical, it's vital, and if I can't have fun at what I'm doing then it's Ciao I'm out of here.

So I have fun, I try to make things interesting for myself, but and here's something to think about.

Our primary purpose is to sell memberships/PT packs/sessions/classes/trials or whatever your service is and to make the experience "Raveable" for our customers, forget "satisfied" customers, they are happy to plod along, it's the ones that RAVE about your service that will benefit you, and benefit the whole team.

That's mine, yours and ours prime purpose, don't forget that.

That's synergy, working together we can accomplish a lot more than working individually, so what are we going to do today?

Kim Martin has been involved in the fitness industry in various roles from being an instructor/owner of a martial arts centre in Adelaide, managing various centres, to owning and managing a marketing company that generated between 70-500 new members in anywhere from 2 -7 weeks. He has personally sold $22,000 in memberships in a single day and has been acknowledged by his peers as an expert in low cost marketing promotions that generate spectacular results

His toolkit at healthandwellnessmarketingresources.com healthandwellnessmarketingresources.com is guaranteed to get more leads, more sales and more referrals for anybody involved in from of health and wellness occupation from martial arts, Yoga, personal training ,fitness centres, massage therapists etc.

All the detailed instructions about this offer as well as an enormous range of information all guaranteed to get you more leads, more referrals and more sales can be found at healthandwellnessmarketingresources.com healthandwellnessmarketingresources.com

Try Sweet Timing Your Yogic Bliss

Yoga can be lumped with other intense physically active workouts like being on the treadmill for cardio, running, sprinting or even lifting weights, but, you cannot do yoga without the help of a meditation timer. Like all intensive interval training workouts, yoga, considered a gentle form of exercise, is also intense within and tests the stamina and endurance toward deep breathing and exercises.

Endurance levels are also tested while performing the asana or various postures that could be slow, complicated stretches, meditation and chants. Timing is a primary requisite in the breathing part and the asana in yoga which cannot be overdone or left early in the middle. Every posture and breath is timed and the need for an exercise timer is very essential in yoga.

Concentration is valued highly in this ancient exercise form that originated in India and made popular in the US by Hot Yoga. Some yoga routines are known to do a lot in terms of fat burning and raising the heart rate. In this, yoga can match the best in cardio exercises.

Without the help of a meditation timer like the Mobile Interval Training Timer (MITT) ---an application on your mobile phone--- to softly alert you whenever the posture time is over or when you need to breathe in or out, your yoga exercise may get disrupted. You do not need any additional device to check or fiddle with during intense moments of concentration. With ringing tones like the beeper, tingsha, Chinese gong or the ring gong, the mobile phone with the MITT added on as an application will work as your yoga timer.

It is very important as yoga involves interval training without the physical speed. But interval training in yoga involves the set of postures done within the specified time, the rest asana, then again on to the same once again or the next posture. Your mind should remain fixated on your breath as it is the key element in yoga and should not waiver to check the time. The MITT allows your mobile phone to be a sports watch and in the gym, it doubles up as fitness or a gym timer.

When you are into yoga in the classroom, the MITT application takes the pressure off you by being an effective meditation timer. With optional low sounds and vibration mode inbuilt in the meditation timer, you need not have to bother others in the room as the device would quietly but surely let you know when the time is up or you need to rest and begin again.

You can pre

Mark Bowler is a software developer who is practice yoga pretty regularly. To support this cause, he has developed the Mobile Interval Training Timer and the interval-timer.com website interval-timer.com interval-timer.com. You can reach Mark for questions or comments at

Become an Entrepreneur - Turn Your Passion Into Cash

Today, so many people are looking for ways to make money. The unemployed, college & high school students, and retirees are all searching for "jobs." Unfortunately, some of these groups are competing for the same positions, especially in the retail and hospitality industries.

Can you paint or draw? Are you crafty? Do you like singing, dancing, acting or playing music? Can you style hair or faces with finesse? Do you know more about photography, computers or videos than most? Can you sell products like Bill Gates?

Turn what you love to do into cash. The more passion you have for your hobby the better chance you'll have to make a lot of money providing this service for others. Your enthusiasm will motivate others to want the same thing for themselves. And in spite of the economy, people are still in need of products & services...personally, for their family or their pets.

People are re-inventing themselves and starting niche businesses by:

- Providing bike tours through various neighborhoods

- Painting pet portraits

- Offering mobile or by-the-minute massages

- Creating fee-based business webinars

- Developing after-school programs

- Hosting passion and makeover parties

- Becoming fitness trainers (yoga, pilates, tai chi, aerobics, dance)

- Becoming an online seller (Etsy, Amazon, Overstock, Bonanzle)

There are a few recession-proof businesses. However, also consider offering help for new moms, newborns, children, seniors, and the deceased. New moms need childcare as they return to work. The elderly need assistance with shopping, meal preparation, and trips to the doctor. If you are the nurturing type, become a caregiver or au pair. Register with Care.com or another agency with this clientele.

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Become the Best Possible Yoga Teacher in Five Easy Steps

The more we know, the more we realize how much more there is to learn. In Yoga, and in life, each day is a new lesson. Some interns think that, the material they learn in a 200 hour happinesslifetime.com Yoga teacher training will be the "end all" to their education.

After a month into teaching, most of us of us develop a method for expanding our continuing education. The following five tips will help any Yoga teacher gradually reach maximum potential, while living a multi-faceted life.

1. Determine your exact direction. This may depend on the needs of your students or your own quest for personal growth. Whether you are considering training toward the 500 hour level, or becoming a Yoga teacher specialist, you want to draw up a plan to stay on course - without getting "side tracked."

2. Move forward with purpose. Do you think you can make a habit of studying Yoga for one hour per day? It seems reasonable enough. Imagine how much you could learn in one year. After one year, you will have 365 hours of independent study - in a direction that you can apply toward your student's needs, your personal growth, or both.

3. Take a realistic look at the pace of your progress. Even when we have a deep passion for Yoga, we must realize that independent study is not a race. Not everyone can study for seven hours per week. Some will study more, but most will study less. It is best to set a steady pace and enjoy life along the way.

4. Reflect back on your progress. It is easy to start a journey, but many can become discouraged along the path. Stop to think about how much you have accomplished. If we invest just four hours of study per week, we have 52 hours of study after three months. Your own continuing education program is a big help to students who depend on your knowledge.

5. Make continuing education a regular part of life. Education, in a subject that we find fascinating, is stimulating, and makes life worth living. As Yoga teachers, we realize that we are students for life. There are many benefits that come with a Yoga teaching position. The lifestyle is healthy. The continuing education stimulates your mind. Your students adopt a less stressful lifestyle. You feel the rewards of watching your students improve their lives.

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

The Best Yoga Teacher is Inside You

Where can we find the best Yoga teacher? Who is the most mystical of Gurus? If I climb one more mountain, will the answers of my purpose in life be revealed when I get to the other side? These are questions each seeker (sadhaka) wants answered.

Many people qualify as seekers. They search for a way to improve the quality of their lives. Yet, they spend their lives on a quest to find a special person with answers to their life purpose, in remote places - only to find the true Yoga teacher within.

You can find the seeds of motivation by studying with great teachers, Swamis, and Gurus; but inspiration is cultivated within. For inspiration to take hold, it must be deeply rooted within one's being. One becomes driven by a focused and true purpose in life.

For the sadhaka, this may require some guidance from a competent Yoga teacher, with knowledge of the higher forms of Yoga. The average practitioner of a Yoga exercise class has no idea what Maharishi Patanjali is discussing in the Yoga Sutras.

To add to this Yogic educational mystery, a sadhaka may read about raising awareness and consciousness in books, but he or she sees only asanas during Yoga class. What is one to do? If a Yoga practitioner has begun to "run into a wall," there are answers in books and self-study.

The deception of Hatha Yoga is to look for visible forms of personal transformation and to think that is all there is. If that were so, Yoga would be the oldest recorded exercise system, and that's it. There would be no need to bother with any other aspects of Yoga.

Meditation, pranayama, Yamas, and Niyamas would have little meaning, if Yoga were just another method to build muscles. The deeper truth is that long term practice of Hatha Yoga will create physical mastery, but with proper guidance, the sadhaka becomes the master of his or herself.

A multitude of changes on the mental, emotional, and spiritual level will occur through daily practice of any form of Yoga. This takes time, but self-mastery is the end result. Awareness, intuition, and a trained mind are the rewards of long- term Yoga practice. If you have learned well, you will be able to pass the knowledge on to the next generation of Yogis.

On the other hand, not everyone wants to teach. This is not a crime; but a lifetime of acquired knowledge is worth "passing the torch" to those who are seekers without answers.

© Copyright 2009 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. aurawellnesscenter.com aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, eBooks, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html