Hatha Yoga contains many aspects which can be useful for mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health of the practitioner, but most students are concerned with the physical body.
Many students enter their first Yoga class with a specific pre-existing condition. It could be stress, back pain, recovering from a stroke, a neurological disorder, or any other health condition, which finally drove them to enter a Yoga studio.
In some cases, Yoga teachers wish people would become pro-active about their health much sooner in life. Yet, many physicians I speak with say the same thing. Decades of neglect, due to negligence of health, are difficult to undo.
This is not meant to place the blame on the client, student, or patient, for a health condition. Some health conditions are difficult to suppress, due to genetic factors. People cannot simply change their genetic make up, but they can turn poor habits into pro-active good health habits.
For example: John quits smoking and decides to replace his habit with walking and Yoga. My guess is John will live a decade or decades longer, in good health, because of his decision.
Now, let's get back to reality. If the average person quits smoking, he or she will replace this habit by eating more, and sitting on the couch for decades, until the body cannot take it any longer. The solution is to strategically replace poor health habits with good habits, which result in better quality life.
Many students enter their first Yoga class with a specific pre-existing condition. It could be stress, back pain, recovering from a stroke, a neurological disorder, or any other health condition, which finally drove them to enter a Yoga studio.
In the case of pain, why wait until pain is unmanageable? Many people go to their physician, or a Hatha Yoga class, because pain drove them to it. Overwork and a lack of awareness, with respect to health, can cause us grief for the rest of our 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 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
? Copyright 2007 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
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