Yoga and Sciatica

In the quest to help alleviate back pain in my patients, I have been looking a lot more online about certain conditions. Lately, I have been focusing on sciatica.

If you are not already aware, sciatica is when something adversely affects the sciatic nerve. It is not actually a specific condition but a symptom of another injury. The pain shoots down the buttock and the back of the legs. Standing or sitting for too long can exacerbate the condition as well.

My first recommendation is to visit a licensed chiropractor in your area to get examined. Many times traditional Western medicine providers overlook the real root of the problem. We offer free initial consultations, however not every practice does.

Chiropractic can help alleviate the pain, but staying in shape, stretching and exercise will do wonders to keep things in line. Yoga is a fantastic way to do all of the above.

Here are the three basic poses that will help your sciatic nerve pain:

Downward Dog - One of the best known and popular poses, this one starts with you bending over at the waist. Lean forward and place your palms flat on the floor. You want to try to achieve an inverted V shape. Keep your feet and palms as flat as possible for 2 minutes. Look in at your belly to avoid neck strain. If you can't do 2 minutes, go as long as is comfortable. Remember not to force it.
Butterfly - sitting down, bring the bottoms of your feet together and in toward your pelvic area. Your knees should be outward. You will feel the stretch in your pelvic area.
Forward Bend - stand straight up as tall as you can with your legs shoulder width apart. Bend/lean forward at the waist keeping your back as flat as possible. Stay in that position as long as is comfortable.

If you are having trouble at first, it's ok. Look up a local yoga studio if you find it helpful. They are used to training new students and you can get in a class with people of like experience.

Remember, don't force it. Enjoy the stretch.

Is Your Best Friend Better Than a Personal Trainer?

One of the most obvious reasons why you might want to just workout with your best friend is simply because they won't charge you $60 an hour to workout with them. This gives you the financial freedom to workout with your best friend nearly every day of the week. If you're personal trainer charges you even $50/ hour you are still looking at $200 bucks a month for just one session a week. When working out with a friend you can gain far more one-on-one time for little to no extra cost.

Another reason to work with a friend is because your best friend might be better at motivating you to show up for a workout. If you miss a session with a trainer you simply risk losing the cost of the session and maybe a bit of a lecture and that's it. However when you drop the ball on a friend you risk hearing about it and bearing the guilt every time you see them for the next week or so. Better yet, you can make a deal with your friend that if one of you misses a session then that person has to buy a tank of gas or incur some other penalty only friends could enforce.

Another reason to workout with a buddy is because it can take time for a trainer to get to know you and know how hard to push you. When you work out with a friend you have a partner who knows you very well and has a much more intimate interest in your success. This can bring about a fitness relationship that is more in touch with what is best for you both.

Of course a personal trainer might have vastly more knowledge about fitness and nutrition than you or your friend but this too can be remedied. The two of you can split the financial and time costs for learning through videos, courses or books that can enhance both or your knowledge and results. This way you both learn at half price and still gain just as much benefit.

You might also want to each tackle a different subject and then come together and compare notes. So you might learn about how to use free weights and your buddy can learn some basic yoga poses. In this way you can learn twice as much, for half the cost in half the time.

The final reason why working out with a friend instead of a trainer might be better is the lack of intimidation or fear to be you. Most people will tend to hold back private information about how they are feeling in an effort to put on a face to their trainer but that might not be the case with their friend. You can unload your feelings about an exercise, how you are feeling, and all sorts of other things that can affect your fitness, much more easily with a friend than with a trainer.

I'm also a big fan of workouts that take little time and less energy and yet provide huge results. As a free service I send out these workouts weekly through The Fit Rebel Free Press.

To get started simply sign up for free at TheFitRebel.com TheFitRebel.com and also receive the free e-course; about working out half as much and gaining twice the benefits!

Be fit and live free,

Matt Schifferle

Yoga Teachers And The Yoga Alliance

Registering with the Yoga Alliance has many advantages for the yoga professional and offers more credibility to those who teach yoga. Their global registry acknowledges your training and knowledge and your ability as a yoga teacher. Being a member will also help when applying for a job, as being a member of the Yoga Alliance instills confidence and respect in your students. As a member of the Alliance, you will have achieved certain recognized standards, and those students who know of the Alliance respect its work and will seek out members as teachers. By using their designated registry marks - RYT or E-RYT after your name on business correspondence, business.educationeasy.net business cards and advertising, your membership will be instantly recognizable.

The Alliance offers many networking opportunities, as the founders realize that in order to spread the word about the benefits of yoga, their members need to be able to communicate with others on a business level. The Yoga Alliance is very aware that those who run their own studios or those who are independent yoga teachers can become cut off from the main stream. Through their networking opportunities, yoga professionals can learn about opportunities for further education and interact with others on a professional level.

As many aspects of yoga are acknowledged by some in the medical community to help with weight loss, stress, high blood pressure and other medical conditions, having the designated registry mark RYT or E-RYT after your name, means you are more likely to be recommended by another health professional.

If you have a website you use for advertising purposes, those searching for a yoga teacher or studio in their area will also be more attracted to those with bona fide qualifications. By offering a link through to the Yoga Alliance website, the searcher will be given an in depth look at what the Alliance sets out to do, and be given salient information about the many benefits of practicing yoga themselves. It is a good selling point for those who have an established business and for those wishing to build clientele for a new yoga studio.

Registration fees with the Yoga Alliance are low, compared to the many benefits they offer. Schools that offer happinesslifetime.com yoga teacher training can apply under a number of different programs within the Yoga Alliance, as long as a number of criteria are met by the school. The Alliance offers four basic programs: Children's yoga, pre-natal yoga which is becoming a very popular choice for new mothers, plus either 200-hour or 500-hour certification and can take up to 90 days once the application is received.

A small annual fee is required to maintain registration with the Yoga Alliance and a convenient application form to join is available on the Yoga Alliance website.

Find out more about how to becomeayogainstructor.org Become A Yoga Instructor and the average becomeayogainstructor.org/yoga-salaries.html Yoga Salary or teachers as well as the benefits of yoga.

Riding, Running and Rebounding For Health & Fitness

What do horseback riding, cycling and running all have in common? Simple! They all require a strong, lifted core to execute and maximize the exercise. That means that rely on the use of the abdominal center, erectors of the back and spine, tuck of the butt and lift of the lower back to maneuver and they also require/benefit from open, lifted and proud shoulders.

It also should come as no surprise that the cross-training benefits of yoga and pilates, in building core strength, re-aligning musculature and developing mind-body connections are transferable to these exercise disciplines. What might surprise and delight is the use of a rebound exercise tool, the Kangoo Jumps, as a recommended resource for the devotee of riding, cycling and running to maximize cardiovascular training and effectiveness.

A young woman wrote to me recently, looking for a way and a recommendation as to how she could put less stress on her body (knees, joints, ankles, hips) while gaining aerobic and cardiovascular conditioning. A lover of Pilates and equestrian sports judge by profession, she wanted a way to maximize her fitness programming, increase her cardiovascular fitness training while preventing injury to her body. She didn't want to run anymore because of the stress and strain it caused to her knees. I knew her connectedness to nature, the outdoors and the feeling of control thru movement was tantamount to finding success for her training. While I don't ride horses, I do understood the desire to avoid the body breakdown caused by of running. Torn, as she was, as I find it to have the closest connection one can duplicate to the experience of riding in the open, free space and having a connected feeling to the elements.

I understood the need to avoid the body breakdown as it was my personal pursuit a few month earlier. As an exceptionally active person, the older I got, the more pounding, I experienced on my knees, heels and hip joints and less and less I enjoyed running 3 miles, 2x week to keep my weight in check. As a result, last spring, I bought a pair of Kangoo Jumps and totally eliminated the pain (and recovery) in each and everyone one of my workouts. For that reason, I recommended the same option to her.

The shoes are based on rebound exercise and are a low impact rebound sport shoe designed to provide a safe platform for jogging and other exercises that are hard on the joints. The boots use a lightweight spring to absorb the shocks due to impact on the ground and create a rebound effect that reduces shock impact on ankles, knees, hips and lower back. They are Swiss designed for joggers, however, they also provide benefits for athletic strengthening and conditioning, rehabilitation and injury prevention and group aerobics. The unique "floating above the ground" sensation created by Kangoo Jumps has to be experienced to be understood.

Core balance and control are two other variables (and benefits) of using the shoes for training.

Quality vs Quantity

kangoojumps.com Kangoo Jumps deliver the benefit of 50-minutes exercise in only 20 minutes and the injury prevention potential has already caught the attention of several elite football teams. The boots can be used indoors or outdoors on paved roads, dirt paths and grass as well as at the beach or on snow. N.A.S.A. has found rebound exercise to be the best form of exercise for astronauts because it restores bone and muscle mass lost during time spent in outer space. Consequently Kangoo Jumps are recommended for people suffering osteoporosis, with the "slow-motion" steps and exercises of Kangoo Aerobics make it suitable for middle aged and senior people.

Other Cardiovascular Options

The other option I recommended, and one I personally use during the warm weather months, to avoid joint pain, is a road bike. A road bike and a trail can make a world of difference in clearing your head while building cardiovascular strength. Climbing hills with a bike will give anyone keen cardiovascular training.

As a Pilates and equestrian sports devotee, my friend already understood the reliance on core strength and easily made the connection that these two disciplines were good cross-training modalities to support the prevention and overuse of muscle and back pain; typical injuries and imbalances caused by cycling.

Gina Jackson, MBA, CPT, holds Advanced PFT recognition as a member of the International Association of Fitness Professionals (IDEA); maintains affiliate membership in the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT) and is certified as a Power Pilates Teacher and a proud Business Member of the Pilates Method Alliance.

Gina made a conscious career and lifestyle change to fitness in 2000 and assists clients in lifestyle fitness training programs using her knowledge and experience with strength and resistance as well as classical Pilates training. She operates a Private Pilates Studio in New Jersey and provides provide fitness resources, tips, articles and MP3 downloads designed to assist many in Pilates-focused training at Pilates4Fitness.com Pilates4Fitness.com and thepilatesclub.net thepilatesclub.net.

Please Note: You are granted permission to republish this article on your site only with maintenance of the credits, links and author's bio intact.

Teaching Hatha Yoga - Reaching Happiness and Good Health From Within

When training Yoga teachers about the specific needs of students, there are many discussions, which occur. One point to become aware of is the reason why a given student continues to come to your classes.

When a student walks into class for the first time, there is a logical reason for it. It may be stress, excess weight, depression, or perhaps, their physician told them to go to a Yoga class; but there is always a need that is the driving force, behind the action, which causes their arrival.

Beyond this, there is also a common thread which all people desire. Everyone wants happiness. Most people look outside their mind and body for happiness, joy, and contentment.

Maybe a new car, a shallow relationship, or the latest high technology gadget, will buy some temporary gratification. We know that money can buy many things, and it can buy temporary happiness. Yet, this is much like drug abuse, as it requires more money to be temporarily happy, and the effects do not last as long after each acquisition.

True happiness comes from peace of mind and the gratification which real friendships can give. Gratification can come from many directions. Helping people who really need your assistance (Karma Yoga) is very rewarding.

The drive to give to others, or to volunteer your services, has to come from within for happiness to be the end result. For example: If I do my neighbor's landscaping, when he or she is ill - gratification occurs, because I want to do it.

On the other hand, if my neighbor shames me into doing his or her landscaping, because of his or her bad health, and I really do not want to, there is no gratification and no happiness. In fact, maybe the second scenario could become a weekly trap of obligation. One might say it is a form of Karma Yoga (selfless service), but there is no joy in it.

In life, there are many obligations, but we have to accept them as they are, and make the most of it. However, the quest for happiness will take place when we purposely make it our objective. Seeing the value of your own intelligence, your family, your friends, and appreciating your good health, will bring you true happiness.

Many of us have the ability to choose to be happy. It is as simple as continually saying, "I am happy." If you say this to yourself often enough, and smile, it is contagious. Happiness starts within you, improves your health, and makes you strong enough to help others. In turn, you are changing the world for the best, one relationship at a time.

It does not matter what form of Yoga you teach, because all forms of Yoga were designed to end suffering, and bring bliss to each practitioner.

© Copyright 2008 - 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 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

Bodhi Tree Pose - Integrating Yoga & Strength Training

Why begin with a Yoga Asana (pose)?

Fitness Foundry strongly believes that we first learn the movement or form of the exercise without adding resistance or speed. This creates a solid understanding of the form, execution of the exercise and develops mind body connection. The goal is to achieve neuromuscular activation and increase motor-unit firing for our de-conditioned muscles.

The original yoga tree pose posture is designed to isometrically condition our muscles, strengthen the joints and most importantly align the body. The tree posture also introduces single leg balance and stability that also helps correct muscles imbalance. ( synergistic and dominant muscles) Added benefits of regularly doing this exercise are increased flexibility and strength in your ankles, knees and hips.

While performing this exercise/pose you will also promote blood circulation to all the organs, glands and tissues, providing all bodily systems with oxygenated blood. Maximum Boost Workouts wants to maximize your body potential by harmonizing all systems of the body. The progression from this exercise is the BodhiTree Pose.

Set up with original Yoga Tree Pose and do the following. (for original Yoga Pose-visit my site)

Bodhi Tree Pose with Medicine Ball Press

Frequency: 3 Sets, Repetitions 8

Intensity: Hold position without losing form. 1 Kg ball

Timed: Pause for 2 seconds when ball is extended . Inhale on return.

Progress to Bodhi Twisted Tree.

Setup.

Movement:

Hold medicine ball at chest height with elbows tuck by your sides. Inhale; shift the your weight onto your left foot... Exhale bend the right knee, simultaneously rotate the knee to your right side while gently placing the sole of your right foot as high as possible into the left inner thigh, with toes pointing down. Continue to move your right knee to the right side while contracting your buttocks muscles in and keeping your tailbone tuck forward.

Stabilize the position and with your next inhale slowly press the ball forward. Ball is to remain at chest height and both arms should be same level. Slowly stretch your arms out in front of your chest Pluck the back and lift the chest and look straight ahead. Return back to starting position with the ball in front of the heart. Repeat this on the other side.

Draw in in your navel . Focus on form.

Finish:

Relax from the position , slowly exhale and lower raised ball to waist height. Next return raised foot to the floor.

Do not press until you can hold the pose comfortably for about 30 seconds on each side.

Trainer's Tips:

If you are unable to raise the left foot high inside the right thigh, rest it lower

on the right leg -- be mindful to not place the left foot directly on the right

knee. Be aware that the tailbone has a tendency to posterior tilt. To prevent

this from happening, draw in the navel back and up. This will create a neutral

spine. For better alignment, focus and visually connect the feet, tailbone,

top of the head and hands.

Correct form and total body alignment requires concentration not strength. Resulting in a deepening of our mind body connection. Lastly, moving with a slow tempo requires even more control, focus and breathing. This will lead to neuromuscular activation muscle memory, injury prevention and self-efficacy.

Julio A. Salado, AFAA & NASM C.P.T

Fitness Foundry designed for healthy living.?
Certified Personal Trainer
Assess, Initiate, Motivate
fitnessfoundry.net fitnessfoundry.net

How to Become a Yoga Teacher - From Dream State to Reality

Is it really possible to become a Yoga instructor or anything we desire? Many ideas run through our minds. Even when we sleep, our minds are dreaming and processing random thoughts. Most of our thoughts could be classified as a "dream state." This includes waking thoughts that come and go.

Most of us take this random dreaming lightly and we rarely act upon any of our thoughts. For a rare few, these thoughts become "fuel" for action. To navigate through one's imagination can be very difficult. We have dreams, but we also have deep rooted fear of the unknown, anxiety, stress, and anger.

During sleep periods, there are no guarantees as to whether dreams will be good, bad, or make any sense. If you keep a log of your dreams for a month, you will notice your mind mixes time, location, and theme, with no rhyme or reason.

Unfortunately, some of us suffer from this thinking during our waking hours, as well. In Yogic and Eastern philosophy, the mind is often compared to a monkey. Some of us may feel a constant background of mind chatter. These random thoughts are the creations of an undisciplined mind.

Yoga is one of the few disciplines, which can train the mind to become your greatest asset. The sorting of dreams, fears, and anger can be replaced by focused thought. The fact is: Some of your dreams are worth acting upon and some of your dreams should be discarded.

Not everyone wants to become a Zen master or a Yoga teacher, but everyone wants to maintain control of their mind. Losing control of the mind is also another great fear. Yet, many people let the mind run on autopilot. They wake, eat, drive cars, and work without much creative thought.

Some employers would prefer that employees keep their creative thoughts to themselves. This forces the innovative thoughts, within the minds of whole work forces, into dormancy. The familiar mantra within many companies is "Do your thinking on your own time."

The problem is what to do when you see a reasonable solution to a problem, but your help is not wanted. The answer is to focus your creative energy, where it can help others or be appreciated. This requires each of us to take action when it makes sense to do so.

To ignore a realistic opportunity, that can only have good results, is a waste. Whether you want to teach Yoga classes, or study toward something else, do not waste time ignoring opportunities.

© 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, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html